2009 – 3 Drivers behind Internet Threats

With the onset of 2009, Cyberoam predicts the following security trends that should play a decisive role in enabling CISOs to recognize potential threats and vulnerabilities in their enterprise, and prepare their security accordingly.

Guerilla warfare tactics are of course the most used tactics in the cyber criminals’ mission to hurt an enterprise. But 3 key drivers will dominate 2009 threats.

1. Economic downturn - Commercial Threats
2. New infrastructure and its emerging vulnerabilities - Commercial Threats
3. Ideological threats - Terrorism

1. Economic Downturn
Times aren’t good. The downturn is leaving users vulnerable to threats ranging from phishing attacks with false job promises, bogus mortgage loan offers, cheap housing and healthcare and retirement plans, to rise in insider threats due to corporate lay-offs.

2. Where Infrastructure is Heading
Mobile connectivity, new online applications and developments in IT infrastructure throw open new vulnerabilities that will be utilized by attackers before these are secured. This includes mobile and iPhone malware, Web 2.0 vulnerabilities, cloud computing, SaaS and more.

3. Cyber-Terrorism
Growing ideology in the name of religion and nations will increase attacks on a nation’s entities. Government institutions and key private sector entities lead the list of targets including power and utility companies, banks and financial institutions, etc.

To Conclude
Since rising guerilla warfare involves good planning and targeted execution, using security solutions that detect the patterns of threats, can recognize the user and integrate user identity comprehensively with network security can contain threats in 2009.