Andre Yoskowitz
28 Dec 2010 18:09
Security company McAfee has listed its expected 2011 "targets" for malicious activity, claiming Apple devices, smartphones, URL shorteners and geo-location services will be at the top of the list.
"We've seen significant advancements in device and social-network adoption, placing a bulls-eye on the platforms and services users are embracing the most," adds Vincent Weafer, senior vice president of McAfee Labs (via Cnet). "These platforms and services have become very popular in a short amount of time, and we're already seeing a significant increase in vulnerabilities, attacks and data loss."
Apple, for example, has long been seen as "more secure" or "safer" than its Windows counterparts, but digging deeper into the matter has always resulted in the same conclusion. Apple devices appear safer because virus writers have not taken the time to write for them. Why waste time trying to infect 9 percent of the world's PCs, when you can take just as much time to write code that could infect the other 91? However, now that Apple devices,(Macs or iOS) are practically in every household, McAfee says the company will become a much larger target.
Additionally, URL shorteners used maliciously will continue to grow, as Twitter users have already become accustomed to clicking through shortened links without even checking the link preview.
Geo-location services, along with social networking sites, will give cybercriminals a chance to "target" attacks. Says McAfee:
"In just a few clicks, cybercriminals can see in real time who is tweeting, where they are located, what they are saying, what their interests are, and what operating systems and applications they are using. This wealth of personal information on individuals enables cybercriminals to craft a targeted attack."