With the rise of new technologies, there is as expected a spike in the associated security risks which come as a result of the said new technologies. Lately, there have been an all-time high in certain cybercrimes, some new, some reinvented.
Cryptojacking: Many are joining the race for valuable cryptocurrencies. The problem is like many other valuable things, it’s not very easy to get in. Essentially, cryptocurrencies are “mined”. Mining of cryptocurrency requires computer processing power. That’s where hackers come in. Cryptojacking is the use of a victim device to mine cryptocurrency. Mining malware can be secretly installed, and some cryptocurrencies such as the Monero currency supports in-browser mining. The effects of cryptojacking and diagnosing one can be found here.
Hacking Internet of Things (IoT) devices: We are seeing a growing penchant for making the most of our interconnected devices. It doesn’t stop with our phones. We want out cars connected, furniture connected, clothes, security cameras as well as home appliances. It should be noted that anything connected to a network is a target for attacks. Since companies are not prioritizing IoT attacks, they have become more rampant and constantly recurring.
Ransomware in the cloud: Ransomware is on the decline, however Ransomware in the cloud is set to become more prevalent. The cloud is considered secured by many, however it is not as secure as one may think. Ransomware is a technique whereby a system or system file is encrypted and put on lock down until payment (ransom) is made before an unlock solution is granted. It’s effective, because many people will pay for their systems and data if it is deemed important enough to avoid losing. Cloud computing businesses have not seen major attacks yet, but may become a prime target since they store huge amounts of data. Data is valuable. When something is valuable, someone out there will try to get it.
Hacking elections: Elections are becoming a prime target. The well-known 2016 US election was not enough. Russian hackers are subject to suspicion in influencing or planning to influence election results of other countries. This is not to say that hackers of other countries are not involved. Reports say Chinese spies are targeting the Cambodian election slated for July 29.
The internet as a whole is now engrained in everyones lives. Just like with many other things, it cannot be made 100% percent safe. It’s up to the users to be vigilant regarding possible threats and how to protect oneself.
