Computer Network Security Threats 2012

BLENDED THREATS Social Networks

While e-mail is still the number one threat vector for personal information loss, threats from newer communications channels are increasing, especially in the form of blended threats where the target is first attacked through e-mail, then directed to Web or social media.

TIGHTEN USER POLICIES

More companies will create policy around acceptable use. E-mail leaks. Such as the recent Google corporate memo exposure which is heightening awareness in companies. There needs to be policies be created about what content is considered sensitive and enforce them both through technology and through training.

ENCRYPTION

More companies will encrypt more data. Three factors are converging to make 2012 the year of encryption adoption.
1. More regulations today require encryption.
2. It's become a best practice in many industries.
3. It's easier to implement and less confusing for users, with processing power increasing encryption has become faster and easier to implement and use.
4.- Symantec felt it was a priority item so they sh0pped around for a good solid suite of applications. Pretty Good Privacy has a long track record of encryption experience.
It is encouraging that Symantec incorporated PGP into their offerings to give their encryption software for email and disk some stability and a commitment. Along with ongoing support and development, we feel it will provide consistency over the long run which we always look for in security software.

DATA BREACH

At least one major social media site will experience a major breach. According to Neilsen, nearly a quarter of all online time is spent social networking. With more people on social networks and more personal information available via those networks, the potential for exposure of that data is likely. See below for some examples:

DATA TRANSFERS

More interest will be shown in secure managed file transfers. Driven by privacy considerations and security flaws in FTP, more companies will be implementing reliable ways to send files securely. With data breach notification laws in place in nearly every state and provinces, companies cannot risk losing data through FTP security issues.

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LOCATION BASED THREATS

With the rise in mobile GPS information, companies will have to protect personally identifiable information (PII) of employees, customers and partners, as well as create new policies for handling location-based information. Not only will real-time information about location be a vulnerability, but companies will have access to information about where people (or their devices) spend much of their time.

WORLD WIDE observance

Privacy regulations in the healthcare, financial services and critical infrastructure. There are industries like energy and telecommunications will likely see new regulations dictating what needs to be protected and what to do when data loss occurs.

REGULATIONS

Privacy regulations in the healthcare, financial services and critical infrastructure industries like energy and telecommunications will likely see new regulations dictating what needs to be protected and what to do when data loss occurs. See example below.

 SOCIAL MEDIA USE
It is not going to go away, since it is becoming a basis for how people communicate and interact with each other. With applications, like Skype and FaceTime a new visual exposure has arisen. Now, you have to be concerned about what people can show over the Internet and captured with a click of a built-in camera, like this months financial statement before it is released.

To understand the magnitude of this problem, more than 700 billion minutes per month on Facebook alone. It makes your users vulnerable to social networking sites that are used as ideal malware targets. As high as 40%  of these users are drawn to infections from by malware from social networking sites.
Typical attacks draw on the trust relationship that can grow and establish itself between your users and their connections/ contacts.
Attackers lure you into clicking on a link,
perhaps posting it on your wall and then spamming your friends to “check it out,” or “view my photos.”
Known as click-jacking , when someone clicks on the link, they are fooled into installing malware code & script . From then on, these intruders can harvest financial info, snag id profiles and even take control of your computer or device.