Cybersecurity: 10 threats to monitor in 2014

The overall cost of cyberattacks for businesses in 2013 is estimated to € 300 billion. Here are the 10 key trends in cybersecurity and cybercrime that rose in 2013 and should be closely monitored in 2014.

– Governements’ art of espionage

A U.S. IT security publisher report in 2013 has lifted the veil on cyber-espionage and piracy practices carried out or supported by government services. China thus hosts a group of hackers probably derived from the People’s Army, based in Shanghai, which would have affected 140 companies from 20 different industries. “The resources allocated were important because the mass of data collected and stored may reach terabytes.”

– American intelligence tactics revealed

Many of Edward Snowden revelations about the NSA modes of operations and cyber- espionage practices marked the year 2013 and shocked people. Beyond monitored channels (telephones, messaging, telecom submarine cables …), it is a real industrial espionage system that the Obama administration has conducted under the aim of “fight against terrorism”. Intelligence agencies reform practices were announced by Barack Obama. Web giants such as Google, Yahoo, Facebook, Microsoft who were accused of collusion must regain their users’ trust and demonstrate greater transparency, more specifically regarding the encryption of their respective networks.

– Questions about the laws on freedom and personal data

The year 2013 led to fierce debate, especially in France, on the legal framework in the information society. The military planning law and Article 20 have created a wave of protest among the professional and advocacy organizations in the Internet world. Moreover, the revision of the Directive on the protection of personal data, is currently subject to European governments. The European Union should adopt the new framework in 2014 ” but this deadline seems hard to reach,” said the CLUSIF. This project about the protection of personal data divides the players in the digital sector, but also the State Members and even opposes national authorities to the European Commission.

– Hacktivism unquenched

The Anonymous movement has lost its force with several arrests in the hacktivist network in the United States in 2013. But, according to Edward Snowden revelations on the basis of the NSA documents dating from 2012, the British Secret Service (GCHQ) also conducted several actions against such members of Anonymous, LulzSec and the Syrian Electronic Army .

– Digital data massive theft

Two large massive data loss occurred in 2013: on the one hand, Adobe software publisher with files containing 152 million accounts that evaporated on the Web (2.9 million customers who had left their bank details). Then there was the case of the Target distributor: banking data of more than 110 million people have been stolen as a result of an assault.

– Ramsonware, the new fashion trend

The “ransomware” – linked to the name of such programs that encrypt data and lock computers – become common. To regain access to one’s computer, one must then pay a ransom, otherwise the data will be destroyed. According to Le Figaro newspaper, more than 1,280 complaints were filed in France against this type of scam between November 2011 and January 2013. Now their job is diversifying on OS platforms: Mac and Android. Smartphones will soon be targeted.

– EC3 , the European anti- crime center

Early 2013, the European Union launched EC3, an anti- cybercrime unit in The Hague whose mission is not intended to supplement the national authorities but aims ” to surpass cyber criminals in intelligence and speed in order to prevent and combat their actions, ” according to Troels Oerting, the director of intelligence center to facilitate the tracking of such organizations involved in pedophilia, engaged in ” phishing ” and other online scams.

– Mobile malware increase

Android is indeed cybercriminals’ favorite mobile OS platform, “We see almost 2,000 new variants of malware per day on Android samples. One year ago, it was merely 50 per day. It goes very fast and the trend will increase, “said Ondrej Vlcek , CTO of Avast. CLUSIF thus evaluates that Obad.a is – to date – one of the most complex malware on Android system.

– The danger of virtual currencies

If 2013 was the one of bitcoin (P2P currency), its ecosystem is far from being stable. Indeed, security breaches on intermediate platforms have led to digital age real hold-ups. Despite the FBI shutting down the Silk Road, due to drug traffic observed on this platform, accepting bitcoin as leverage transaction still bring doubt about the fact that these channels are home to money laundering. The recent arrest of the Vice-President of the Bitcoin Foundation will probably further diminish the credibility of the system. Other virtual currencies like Liberty Reserve, being suspicious for U.S. authorities have also been blocked.

– Connected objects not all safe

Cars, watches, sunglasses … we are getting in an all connected world. But security experts put some warnings about the risks associated with the development of sensors on clothes and other fashion accessories for daily operations, leisure or work. Beyond pirated webcams, Google Glasses could also be diverted without their owners being aware of it. Bruce Schneier, an IT security expert, thinks it necessary to evaluate the actual security level of embedded systems, such as the Internet of Things , ” riddled with vulnerabilities and there is no good way for patching “.

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