security trends

Panda Security, global leader in cloud based security solutions, has announced its predictions regarding the main problems that could affect IT security in 2016. The coming year will be filled with threats that could affect private users, small businesses, and large corporations.

The creation and spreading of new malware samples, aimed at infecting users, will continue growing at an exponential rate, just as we have seen in in 2015 where the number of new samples registered daily reached 230,000.

During 2016 there is a predicted increase in infections via JavaScript and a growth in the number of cybercriminals using Powershell, a tool included in Windows 10 that allows scripts with all types of functionalities to be executed, which could be used to attack users.

Large scale and mobile based attacks

Cybercriminals are looking for ways to attack the greatest number of users and businesses, while achieving the greatest possible profit.

Because of this, they will continue to use tools such as Exploit Kits, as many current solutions aren’t capable of combatting this type of attack effectively, which means its rate of infection is very high. For the same reason, malware on mobiles will also increase, especially for Android, which is the most popular operating system on the market.

“Although Android attacks have been commonplace in recent years, the news for 2016 is the manner in which mobiles will be infected. We will see more threats that root the device, which makes eliminating it a near impossible task for an antivirus, except for those that come installed from the factory”, says Luis Corrons, Technical Director of PandaLabs.

There will also be an increase in direct attacks through rootkit techniques, which allow the hackers to hide themselves from the operating system and security solutions.

Internet of Things and mobile payment

2016 will be the year in which the Internet of Things flourishes, with more devices than ever connected to the Internet.

With this in mind, cybercriminals will carry out attacks on these devices, as we have already seen in 2015 in the case of cars whose software is connected to the Internet, which allowed for the remote control of the vehicle.

Payment platforms on mobile devices will be under scrutiny as cybercriminals looks to take advantage of them, as they could be easy ways for criminals to steal money directly.

“If any of the platforms becomes more popular compared to the others, it will be the first one to be looked at by the attackers as they search for weaknesses in its system”, continued Luis Corrons.

Main challenges for security

In the face of the current panorama, where the number of threats is growing exponentially and attacks are becoming more sophisticated, users and businesses will have to adopt extra security measures to remain protected against the dangers of the Internet in 2016.

What’s more, for businesses there are also threats that could seriously damage both their reputation and finances. Cybercriminals will make it their goal to steal confidential information relating to the company (financial data, strategic plans, etc.), and even information belonging to their customers. Once they have it, they will try to blackmail the company into paying a ransom to get the information back, a method known as Cryptolocker.

To face the complexity of these attacks, and those that await us in 2016, it will be necessary for users and businesses to have security tools and solutions that analyze and classify the behavior of all executables, and that also offer advanced protection to prevent and act against security threats.