December 28, 2015

The year 2015 was marked by an unexpected increase in both the numbers and methods of carrying out cyberattacks. With an overwhelming move towards mobile and cloud computing, 2016 is also likely to witness certain additional developments in the field of security risks.

Here are some of the predicted cyber security trends for 2016 that need to be watched out by businesses:

Internet Of Things

As more devices become connected to the internet, physical objects continue to be targeted by the hackers. Unpatched security vulnerabilities in smart TVs, cars, wearable devices, refrigerators etc. are likely to be exploited in order to initiate a more sophisticated attack. Manufacturers of Internet of Things (IoT) devices should lay more focus on increasing security instead of including enhanced features.

Attacks Through Apps

Apps have now become the new way to access the internet. A minor security flaw tends to compromise the privacy of the mobile device as well as the entire company network. Also, people store a lot of sensitive information on their phones, such as credit card details, internet banking passwords, social security number etc. Thus, it is important to download apps from credible sources and keep them updated to ensure the safety of your data.

Advertizing And Tracking

Search engines track your search history to personalize your internet browsing experience. Various advertizing networks tend to create a detailed profile of the users which can put their security at risk. Advertizing, a form of cyber-attack, involves disguising spam code into online advertizements that seem to be legitimate and may interest the user. When you click or simply hover above these ads, malicious software may be downloaded to damage data, steal information or take complete control of your device.

UDP Amplification Attacks

This is a relatively new type of DDoS attack that may lead to a large scale security breach in 2016. In a UDP (User Datagram Protocol) based amplification attack, the attacker overwhelms random ports on the targeted host with relatively small requests of hoaxed IP addresses. This causes the host to respond to the victim, which ultimately makes the system overwhelmed and unresponsive to other clients.

Ransomware

There are many malware such as CryptoLocker and CryptoWall that are used to prevent or restrict users from accessing their computer systems. When the malware is installed on a computer, the victim is required to pay a sum of ransom to the hackers in order to restore the data.

We, at Centex Technologies, can help in the implementation of an efficient cybersecurity plan for businesses across Central Texas. For more information, you can call us at (855) 375 – 9654.