Several Security Threats Will Surge In 2007

Releasing the annual report on November 29, 2006, McAfee's research group 'Avert Labs' discussed that the top ten security threats may become more severe during 2007. This signals for professionalism to continue among malware developers and the series of strikes on emerging technology arena in the coming year. Company executives believe users and administrators will encounter enhanced application of sophisticated techniques such as 'rootkits', 'polymorphism', 'parasitic infectors' and 'automated systems'. Accompanying this will be 'cycling encryption' for new mechanisms that would yield better criminal profits for their creators.

According to Jeff Green, 'senior vice president' of Avert Labs, computers have become an essential part of daily living in a short span of time. This has increased the potential for accruing money by malware writers. As techniques become more sophisticated, it makes general users hard to identify and avoid malware faults.

The study further says that there will be many more password-stealing websites that will create false sign-in pages for popular online services such as 'eBay'. 'Phishing' attacks and 'botnet' programs continue to deliver their malware through undesirable spam mails. The security company expects the number of unsolicited messages will rise during the coming year in the same way as in 2006.

As 'video-sharing' on the web gets popular, it is certain that hackers will target MPEG files as a medium to spread malicious code. The use of "potentially unwanted programs" as another source of threats is likely to increase during 2007 to install 'adware' onto users' computers.

In addition, hackers will increase the use of 'botnets' to conduct other crimes. The botnet system helps miscreants to distribute their attacks out and wide that makes it difficult for users to identify their presence just as law enforcement officials find it hard to trace cyber criminals. Infected malware and viruses that alter existing files on a disk will return and there will be continued concern over vulnerabilities.

According to the company's other projections, identity theft and personal data loss through online crime will become a prominent issue among businesses, regulators and consumers during the next year and so will the concern over stolen hardware come in the forefront.

Related article: Several Haxdoor Variants Impose Harmful Behavior

» SPAMfighter News - 12/4/2006