Cyber Criminals in 2011

Reprinted from REALTOR® Magazine, January 3, 2011 with permission of the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®. Copyright 2011. All rights reserved. 

Cybercriminals' Latest Targets: iPhone, Android

Cybercriminals are expected to target Apple products, mobile devices, and social media in the new year, according to the security firm McAfee, which recently released its “2011 Threat Predictions” report.

The platforms and services most at risk are Google’s Android, Apple’s iPhone, Foursquare, Google TV, and the Mac OS X platform, according to the report.

"We've seen significant advancements in device and social network adoption, placing a bulls-eye on the platforms and services users are embracing the most," Vincent Weafer, senior vice president of McAfee Labs, said in a recent public statement. “These platforms and services have become very popular in a short amount of time, and we’re already seeing a significant increase in vulnerabilities, attacks and data loss.”

The following are among some of the platforms and services at risk in 2011, according to McAfee:

Apple’s Mac OS platforms: Once thought to be fairly immune to threats, Apple products will likely be a focus for cybercriminals in the new year, according to McAfee. McAfee notes that iPads and iPhone usage has increased for business purposes but many of the users do not understand proper security for these devices, which will likely put them at increased risk for data and identity breaches.

Social media sites with URL-shortening services: “The use of abbreviated URLs on sites like Twitter makes it easy for cybercriminals to mask and direct users to malicious Web sites,” according to the report.

Geolocation social media sites: For example, sites such as Foursquare and Facebook Places, which reveal the person’s location can easily be used by cybercriminals to track and plot the person’s whereabouts in real-time. 
 
Source: “McAfee Labs Predicts Geolocation, Mobile Devices and Apple Will Top the List of Targets for Emerging Threats in 2011,” McAfee (Dec. 28, 2010)