Cybersecurity in 2014: A summary of the predictions

One of the many signs that the year is drawing to a close is the emergence of predictions for the next 12 months from security firms and internet analysts. In a year marked by big stories like the Snowden and the Adobe data breach, expert predictions are perhaps necessary.

The 2014 cybersecurity predictions below come from three security companies and were published by ZDNet.

•     Advanced threats will continue to hide behind traditional mass-distribution crimeware tools to make their detection difficult for network defenders.
•     More attacks will start using stolen security certificates or valid code signatures
•     Mobile malware will further complicate the security landscape.
•     Java zero-day exploits may be less widespread
•     Attacks on browser vulnerabilities will be more frequent
•     Malware developers will use invisible management and control techniques (CNC)
•     attacks and social media targeting will increasingly replace email spear-phishing
•     More malware will arrive . Expect more malicious code in the BIOS and in firmware updates
•     New heap-spray techniques will emerge due to Adobe Flash with its famous “click to play” trick
•     Attackers will find more ways to defeat automated sandboxing , such as triggering on reboots, mouse clicks, shutdown requests, and so on.
•     More crimeware will destroy operating systems (OSs) of targeted systems
•     More “digital Quartermasters” behind targeted attacks. In other words, Sunshop DQ is just the beginning
•     Cybercrime becomes personal

More details on FireEye 2014 's predictions

•     People will finally start taking active measures to keep their information private
•     Scammers, data collectors and cybercriminals will not ignore social networks
•     The “Internet of Things” becomes the “Internet of Vulnerabilities”
•     Mobile apps will prove that you trust them very much

More details about the 2014 predictions from Symantec

•     Complex malware will decrease
•     Large attacks for data theft
•     Attackers will be more interested in cloud data than yours.
•     Redkit, Neutrino and other exploit kits will compete for power
•     Java will remain highly usable and will be especially leveraged with expanded impacts
•     Cybercriminals will target the weakest links of the “data exchange chain”

More details about the 2014 predictions from Websense