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What are the Top 5 Internet Security Trends for 2013

What are the Top 5 Internet Security Trends for 2013

As the Internet and technology advances at increasing speeds, the concerns over security are keeping pace. New threats to security emerge every day. Check out the National Vulnerability Database . With access to the Internet expanding to various devices other than the laptop or desktop, there are more opportunities for attacks. With the ever increasing connectedness of our society, it is important to look at the Internet security trends 2013 and be prepared.

Each time you access the Internet, you are putting yourself and your technology at risk by exposing it to the security risks, known and unknown. The security trends for the coming year are looking to focus around a variety of threats including cyber conflict, ransomware, madware, social software and cloud-based cyber attacks. Like it or not, these concerns aren’t going away any time soon, so it is best to gain a baseline understanding of them so that you’ll be able to protect yourself in the coming year.

1. Cyber Conflict

Increasingly, cyber conflict is becoming a serious threat between states, organizations and individuals. While the threats at the state and organizational level may not be of immediate concern, cyber conflict can become very serious when you’re dealing with others sitting behind a computer screen. People are less considerate and often more bold when sitting at a keyboard. Threats and aggression come quickly as discussions online become heated. You can protect yourself and your family from cyber conflict by becoming more aware of how you interact on the Internet. Bullying and aggression are of great concern for families with children. Be sure to educate your children and monitor their Internet usage closely.

2. Ransomware

It’s actually just what it sounds like – virtual ransom demands from criminals. This is a growing threat due to the increasing sophistication of cyber-criminals. Be aware and protect yourself online by consulting with an Internet security firm if you are in a position where you feel exposed to the threat of cyber-criminals. Fast incident response is key when dealing with Ransomware.

3. Madware

Mobile adware or Madware is a growing concern as more and more people are using mobile devices to connect to the Internet. Madware can cause a HIPAA security violation easily of you lose patient data to an attack as well as pose a problem to the functionality of your mobile devices. Often mobile apps expose mobile device users to various forms of madware. Consult your mobile device dealer or an Internet security firm in order to protect yourself from madware. See this good illustration of madware from MobileSecurity.com

4. Social Software

Social media security is a growing concern as more and more people and social media platforms emerge. The social media reputation risk is high when people use social media platforms carelessly or are uneducated about the multitude of privacy and security risks that come from social media.

5. Cloud-based Cyber Attacks

Cyber attackers are turning to the cloud as more people and companies are using it as a way to store the massive amounts of data they accumulate through their desktops, laptops, tablets and mobile devices. This can be a great concern for people who are relying on these cloud-based services to store their valuable documents, entertainment collections and pictures. The recent news article of Wired technology journalist Mat Honan getting hacked through Amazon and Apple cloud services, “Apple account hack raises concern about cloud storage”  illustrates the damage.

As you can see, each of the Internet security trends of 2013 pose a real threat to your security online. Now is the time to take serious steps to protect yourself from these emerging trends so that you will be able to start the new year off right. It may seem like these things will never happen to you, but usually these attacks come when you least expect it. Just like home invasion, if you’re an easy target, you’re more likely to get hit by any one of these threats. The best defense is a good offense and in this case. For help in cloud, network and social media security, contact us at Zcurity.

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