Where are cyber threats likely to be in the coming months?

Carol Forsloff - A
technological security center in Georgia has released information for
2011 showing where cyber threats are likely to be, outlining the top
three areas of security for consumers and business.



The
Georgia Tech Information Security Center (GTISC)is a national leader in
information security research and education and has released a report
at the annual GTISC Security Summit on the Evolving Nature of Cyber
Security Threats. This is where leaders of academia and business have
gathered to examine what is expected in the coming months.

The report sees more and more networked devices at security risk.  Three key areas are expected to increase.

•
Cyber Threats Targeting Physical Systems: Healthcare systems are
particularly vulnerable, which includes medical offices and hospitals
because of the networking.

•
Botnets: Large-scale attacks that utilize more targeted malware to
evade detection are done by cyber criminals who are making more and
better use of software designed to impact large areas.

•
Mobile Devices and Social Networking: Social networks are particularly
at risk, such places as Twitter and Facebook where people are enticed to
hand over personal information.

“We
have to move away from the reactive mode of addressing cyber security
threats and must proactively work to understand new threats and develop
effective ways to contain them,” said Mustaque Ahamad, director of
GTISC.“We are doing this for several of the key threats outlined in the
Emerging Threats report and we look forward to working with our partners
to build a more secure cyber space.”