SECURE YOUR SYSTEMS: Symantec predicts increase in cyber conflicts in 2013

By Prince Osuagwu

Three big trends; mobility, virtualization and cloud computing which increased cyber threat, created changes and affected the way many organizations approached IT in 2012. Indications have also emerged that these trends may still continue to drive change in 2013.

Beware!  ...  hackers on the prowl

Experts are predicting that organizations will continue to grapple with a growing amount of information and an increasingly toxic and targeted threat landscape. These trends are giving IT an opportunity to rethink their approach to make their organizations more efficient, more scalable and more cost effective.

However, the effect according to internet security experts would be heavier on small- and medium-sized businesses SMBs.

Internet security giants, Symantec in its latest released predictions for 2013 specifically pointed out that “we don’t foresee that attacks against these smaller businesses will not let up, we’ll see SMBs fall victim to not only other cyber conflict but also of their own lack of preparation”.

Some of the predictions by Symantec included that in 2013, there would be increase in cyber conflicts between nations, which would lead organizations and individuals to play integral roles in the cyber world.

The prediction foresees Nations or organized groups of individuals continuing to use cyber tactics in an attempt to damage or destroy secure information or funds of its targets. “In 2013, we will see the cyber equivalent of saber rattling, where nation states, organizations, and even groups of individuals use cyber attacks to show their strength and send messages.”

Other predictions included that fake antivirus has begun to fade as a criminal enterprise, and ransomware, a new and harsher model has emerged. Ransomware infects a computer system and restricts access until a ransom is paid to the creator of the malware.

It goes beyond attempting to fool its victims; it attempts to intimidate and bully them. In 2013, attackers will use more professional ransom screens, up the emotional stakes to motivate their victims, and use methods that make it harder to recover data once compromised.

There is also the fear that monetization of social networks will introduces new dangers because as consumers place a high level of trust in social media. from the sharing of personal details, to spending money on game credits, to gifting items to friends.

Symantec says that this growing social spending trend will also provide cybercriminals with new ways to lay the groundwork for attack.

Meanwhile, there is also this strong belief that attackers will shift to mobile and cloud because as unmanaged mobile devices continue to enter and exit corporate networks and pick up data that later tends to become stored in other clouds, there is increased risk of breaches and targeted attacks on mobile device data.

According to Symantec, “some mobile malware duplicates old threats, like stealing information from devices, but it also has created new twists on old malware. Today mobile malware sends premium text messages to accounts that bad guys can profit from. In 2013 you can be sure that mobile technology will continue to advance and thereby create new opportunities for cybercriminals”.

....Know what to secure and how

Solutions:
Symantec says that for organisations to avert damages and apparent loss of data, when attacks happen, there are series of precautions to take, including to:

•Know what you need to protect: One data breach could have serious impacts on business financially including loss of time and damage to brand reputation. Look at where your information is being stored and used, and protect those areas accordingly.

•Enforce strong password policies: Passwords with eight characters or more and use a combination of letters, numbers and symbols (e.g., # $ % ! ?) will help protect your data.

•Map out a disaster preparedness plan today: Don't wait until it's too late. Identify your critical resources, use appropriate security and backup solutions to archive important files, and test frequently.

•Encrypt confidential information: Implement encryption technologies on desktops, laptops and removable media to protect your confidential information from unauthorized access, providing strong security for intellectual property, customer and partner data.

•Use a reliable security solution: Today's solutions do more than just prevent viruses and spam; they scan files regularly for unusual changes in file size, programs that match known malware, suspicious e-mail attachments and other warning signs. It's the most important step to protect your information.

•Protect Information Completely: It's more important than ever to back up your business information. Combine backup solutions with a robust security offering to protect your business from all forms of data loss.

•Stay up to date: A security solution is only as good as the frequency with which it is updated. New viruses, worms, Trojan horses and other malware are born daily, and variations of them can slip by software that is not current.

•Educate employees: Develop Internet security guidelines and educate employees about Internet safety, security and the latest threats, as well as what to do if they misplace information or suspect malware on their machine.