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Cyber Security Predictions 2019
» » AS SECURITY SPECIALISTS WE
advise and instruct people how
to keep their property safe
every day, while as business
owners we are responsible for
not only our own information,
but that of our customers,
suppliers, and other corporate
peers. A padlock or vault is no
longer adequate to keep this
information safe. There is a huge
underground industry dedicated to
cybercrime with cyber fraudsters
continually developing ever
more sophisticated attacks. The
bottom line is that consumers
and businesses should be
vigilant when online and protect
themselves with good cyber
security.
The cost of cybercrime incidents
climbs each year with unerring
predictability. While 2019 will
inevitably see a further rise in
staggering losses - an estimated $2
trillion globally according to some
sources - the New Year is also set
to herald some unique cybercrime
developments as technologies
like artificial intelligence become
increasingly accessible to cyber
criminals, says BullGuard, a leading
provider of consumer cyber
security.
Ransomware is also to make
a come-back but attacks will
be targeted rather than using
the common 2018 scatter gun
approach. Web skimming will
continue to be a serious problem
while email phishing will, like
ransomware, increasingly
target individuals. We can also
expect wide reaching attacks
on consumer Smart devices;
something we write and read a lot
about in The Locksmith Journal.
INTERNET OF THINGS
As Internet of Things (IoT)
devices become increasingly
popular we’re likely to see wide
scale attacks on Smart devices.
To date, attacks have largely
focused on individual devices or
compromising specific devices
to create botnets. In turn the IoT
botnets have been used to launch
attacks on websites to take them
down. These attacks have largely
focused on Internet infrastructure
and service providers but in 2019
consumer-based attacks will
emerge with hackers choosing to
focus on home Smart devices.
On the flip side Internet Service
Providers across Europe are also
likely to begin incorporating IoT
device security into their services
by providing protection at the
network entrance where the
router sits. This protection will
be cloud-based so the detection
of attack signatures detected at
one location can be quickly and
effortlessly transferred to homes in
other locations.
WEB SKIMMING ATTACKS
In terms of specific attacks and
malware there will be an increase
in web skimming attacks. These
have been very prominent in 2018,
for instance, the attack on British
Airways’ website in which 380,000
payment card details were stolen
as people made purchases. These
types of attacks have taken place
all over the world and have proven
to be lucrative for fraudsters. In
2019 they will continue but attacks
are likely to become even more
sophisticated by also stealing log-
in credentials and other sensitive
information.
ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE
AND MACHINE LEARNING
Artificial intelligence and
machine learning are already
widely used in cyber security to
predict and counter emerging
threats. However, it’s likely that
cyber crooks will begin to take
advantage of these technologies
as they become increasingly
accessible. In short, we can expect
to see attacks that are faster,
‘consumers
and
businesses
should be
vigilant
when
online and
protect
themselves
with good
cyber
security’
more adaptive and more difficult
to capture. For instance, targets
could include customised social
network attacks designed to steal
user data for identity theft, as well
as specific attacks on companies.
RANSOMWARE
To date, ransomware attacks
have largely been indiscriminate
in their targeting, this is set
to change as focused attacks
become more common. SamSam
ransomware, which has collected
approximately $6.7 million over
the last three years, has focused
on targeting individuals, and other
cyber criminals have taken note.
EMAIL PHISHING ATTACKS
Email spam and phishing attacks
are relatively old techniques but
they are successful hence their
continued popularity among
attackers. That said, we’re set to
see an increase in email social
engineering attacks in which
individuals are targeted. Once
an attacker has chosen a victim,
they can craft personalised
phishing mails that are extremely
convincing.
‘We make
it simple
to protect
everything
in your
digital
life – from
your data,
to your
identity
and
privacy,
and to
your Smart
Home.’
LOCKSMITHJOURNAL.CO.UK | JAN/FEB 2019
PRIVACY AWARENESS
There is a wave of privacy
awareness sweeping across
Europe and the US following high
profile revelations about how
personal data is collected, used
and sold-on by large organisations.
As such, expect to see an
increased uptake of the use of
virtual private networks (VPNs) by
consumers, who don’t want to be
tracked on the internet.
BullGuard is a multi-award
winning, smart home cybersecurity
company. We make it simple to
protect everything in your digital
life – from your data, to your
identity and privacy, and to your
Smart Home.
www.bullguard.com