{"id":4620,"date":"2014-01-28T10:00:14","date_gmt":"2014-01-28T15:00:14","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.nccomputertech.com\/?p=4620"},"modified":"2014-01-28T10:00:14","modified_gmt":"2014-01-28T15:00:14","slug":"threat-forecast-for-2014-ransomware-scams-snoops","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nccomputertech.com\/techtalk\/2014\/01\/28\/threat-forecast-for-2014-ransomware-scams-snoops\/","title":{"rendered":"Threat forecast for 2014: Ransomware, scams, snoops"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

AVG has released its security threats predictions for the new year, and the sophisticated attacks that defined 2013 look to continue.<\/p>\n

AVG Technologies Australia security advisor, Michael McKinnon, said the emergence of ransomware such as Cryptlocker shows the increasing sophistication of modern malware, and should be a concern for individual users and business.<\/p>\n

The company also highlighted internet vigilantism as a growing force on the web. Public frustration at the lack of penalties for cybercrime should continue to grow as individuals take matters into their own hands. McKinnon sited the Boston bombings as an example of large scale activity by such actors.a><\/p>\n

Concern about cybercurrency<\/p>\n

Increases in the trading of peer-to-peer currency like Bitcoin are something to be mindful of in the coming year. The real challenge for such crypto-currency technologies is how they will pervade mainstream society. With many issues to overcome such as taxation and regulation, McKinnon notes that mixed feelings in the community over such currencies will continue for some time, but remains worth watching.<\/p>\n

bitcoin<\/p>\n

Edward Snowden and Wikileaks showed that privacy was a major issue in 2013, and this will continue. The issue in the future will be one of choice; Individuals need to be aware of the content they put up on the web and the privacy issues that may result.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201dThere are those that don\u2019t wish to live in a surveillance state, while others have complete faith in the ability of their governments to protect them. And some that merely wish to be informed of the best products and bargains by revealing their location and purchasing habits willingly to third parties. Either way, let\u2019s hope that freedom prevails in making our own choice,\u201d McKinnon said.<\/p>\n

He also pointed to the enormous number of new Internet users expected in the near future, and their vulnerabilities to the pitfalls of the web to which many experienced users are well accustomed.<\/p>\n

These new users face a far steeper learning curve than people in the past, and he expects to see an increase in the number of victims of cyber crime in the near future as these novices learn how to safely navigate the web.<\/p>\n

via Threat forecast for 2014: Ransomware, scams, snoops | PCWorld<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

AVG has released its security threats predictions for the new year, and the sophisticated attacks that defined 2013 look to […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[7,8,9,10],"tags":[888,942],"class_list":["post-4620","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-security","category-social-media","category-software","category-technology","tag-ransomware","tag-scams"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/papNkV-1cw","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":2939,"url":"https:\/\/nccomputertech.com\/techtalk\/2013\/07\/15\/ransomware-targets-smaller-businesses-security-ceo-warns\/","url_meta":{"origin":4620,"position":0},"title":"Ransomware targets smaller businesses, security CEO warns","author":"NCCT","date":"July 15, 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"Trending cyber attacks such as ransomware may be typically overlooked by small and midsize businesses, but the CEO of security firm Lumension warns that they are actually in the line of fire. Pat Clawson, LumensionPat Clawson Around the world, ransomware has been proved to be effective in midsized business environments\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Security"","block_context":{"text":"Security","link":"https:\/\/nccomputertech.com\/techtalk\/category\/security\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":8721,"url":"https:\/\/nccomputertech.com\/techtalk\/2015\/11\/05\/nasty-new-ransomware-program-threatens-to-leak-your-files-online\/","url_meta":{"origin":4620,"position":1},"title":"Nasty new ransomware program threatens to leak your files online","author":"NCCT","date":"November 5, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"Lucian Constantin | PCWorld Ransomware creators have taken their extortion one step further: in addition to encrypting people\u2019s private files and asking for money before releasing a key, they now threaten to publish those files on the Internet if they\u2019re not paid. 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The US plans to ban laptops on flights from Europe. Comcast and Charter agree not to compete on wireless. Russian\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Security"","block_context":{"text":"Security","link":"https:\/\/nccomputertech.com\/techtalk\/category\/security\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/img.youtube.com\/vi\/d3Br2lZcce0\/0.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":5671,"url":"https:\/\/nccomputertech.com\/techtalk\/2014\/06\/06\/one-in-seven-americans-were-notified-of-personal-data-breaches-last-year\/","url_meta":{"origin":4620,"position":5},"title":"One in seven Americans were notified of personal data breaches last year","author":"NCCT","date":"June 6, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"Personal data theft has become an increasing concern for everyone, but according to a recent Consumer Reports survey, most US consumers do nothing to protect themselves even with data theft on the rise. 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