In its 2005 report on global security, MessageLabs highlighted that in 2006, hacking incidents are expected to increase, particularly targeting the financial and administrative sectors.
These attacks will include the use of Trojan Horse programs to steal personal information from employees of major financial corporations. For instance, attackers attempted to siphon off $387 million from Japan’s Sumitomo Mitsui Bank last March.
The number of targeted attacks is expected to rise next year, making it increasingly challenging for security experts to prepare preventive measures. Therefore, the best strategy remains to educate employees on safe computer use.
While spam has shown signs of slowing down, it still accounts for approximately two-thirds of global email traffic. There has been a notable increase in phishing emails attempting to lure users to “malicious” sites, with a ratio of 1 out of every 300 emails being fraudulent.
Devices such as 3G phones are anticipated to become targets for virus writers in the coming year. Last year, McAfee reported around 226 programs deemed “dangerous” for mobile devices, and this number is projected to rise to 500 in 2006.
Additionally, it’s essential to mention the countless “tours” of thousands of network viruses, through which hackers can exploit and disrupt the operations of global computer systems. The damages from these disruptions are expected to surpass those caused by large-scale attacks on financial corporations.
The world is becoming increasingly dependent on computers, which is at the core of all emerging issues.
