Hackers could get even nastier next year, researchers warn
AFTER a year marked by devastating cyber attacks and breaches, online attackers are expected to become even more destructive in 2018, security researchers said Wednesday.
A report by the security firm McAfee said the ransomware outbreaks of 2017 offer just a taste of what’s to come as hackers develop new strategies and “business models.”
This is truly the time to get some security tools.
McAfee researchers said that as ransomware profitability fades in the face of new defences, hackers will turn to new kinds of attacks that could involve damage or disruption of computers and networks.
Attackers will also look to target wealthy individuals and aim at connected devices which offer less security than computers and smartphones.
“The evolution of ransomware in 2017 should remind us of how aggressively a threat can reinvent itself as attackers dramatically innovate and adjust to the successful efforts of defenders,” said Steve Grobman, McAfee’s chief technology officer.
McAfee also predicted wider use of cyber attacks “as a service,” allowing more hackers for hire to have an impact.
Raj Samani, chief scientist at McAfee, said the events of 2017 showed how easy it is to commercialise hacking services.
“Such attacks could be sold to parties seeking to paralyse national, political and business rivals,” Samani warned. — Relaxnews