BBB- Cyber-threats of 2013

BBB- Cyber-threats of 2013

As if we had enough threats with burglaries, car thefts, ID theft, scams thrown at us in the mail, on the phone and over the internet, the Better Business Bureau has come out with a list of potential cyber-threats to look out for in 2013. Their list of potential upcoming threats includes:

Cloud-Based Botnets: Cloud computing allows businesses to quickly add or subtract computing power, creating the potential for massive virtual networks to simultaneously send thousands of spam emails. A growing concern is that cloud computing resources will be purchased using credit card information obtained from phishing schemes. A botnet is a collection of computers each of which have been penetrated by malware giving control to the creator of the malware. The botnet then can distribute viruses or worms, distribute spam, conduct denial-of –service attacks, click fraud and other functions.

Search History Poisoning: Hackers attempt to bump illegitimate websites to the top of search engine results, and now, try to manipulate individuals’ search histories—according to the Emerging Cyber Threats Report 2013 from Georgia Tech (http://www.gtcybersecuritysummit.com/pdf/2013ThreatsReport.pdf). Compromised search histories can follow users from computer to computer, perpetuating the inaccurate results and increasing the likelihood of visiting malicious websites.

Mobile Wallet Vulnerabilities: Near field communication, or NFC—a technology which allows two devices to exchange data when in the proximity of each other—is being considered by many smartphone manufacturers, retailers and airlines. With this technology, near field scanners may attempt to capture stored credit card information from passersby.

Malicious Mobile Apps: The Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) recently issued an alert on malware in Android applications (http://www.ic3.gov/media/2012/121012.aspx). As the market for mobile applications expands, it is likely that this problem will increase.

Counterfeit QR Codes: A Quick Response Code is a two-dimensional scannable barcode that directs smartphone users to websites or downloadable content. Counterfeit QR Codes—often adhered over legitimate codes and unknowingly scanned—can download malware or lead to unsecure websites.

Note: The IC3 is a partnership between the FBI (www.fbi.gov ) and the National White Collar Crime Center (http://www.nw3c.org/ ) whose purpose is to take complaints about internet crimes, analyze those crimes and distribute information about internet crimes to federal, state, local and international law enforcement organizations. If you have been a victim of internet crime, report you can file a complaint with IC3 at www.ic3.gov.