Solera Networks Threat Predictions for 2012, Solutions

Legitimate sites are often trusted by their visitors, which makes them a perfect target for cybercriminals.  Solera lists attacks on legitimate, yet compromised sites as a growing trend for 2012 due to the increased amount of such sites containing unpatched vulnerabilities.  Once compromised, hackers can use the legitimate sites to redirect unsuspecting visitors and put them in harm’s way. 

According to Solera, malicious spam is another undesirable item that should increase in 2012.  Various methods, such as email, instant messaging, attachments, malicious links, and social networks will continue to be used just as they were during the second half of 2011, but with some new sprinkles added in.  Scripted exploits against vulnerable browser plugins make Solera’s top five as well, and are expected to increase their presence in 2012. 

The previous year offered plenty of news on potential threats involving SCADA systems in charge of controlling vital industrial, infrastructure, and facility processes.  Solera predicts more of the same this year, placing targeted attacks on SCADA systems in its top five threats for 2012. 

Completing Solera’s top five is an increase in the number of malicious smartphone applications.  Google’s Android platform has been a popular target so far in terms of copycat malware, and that trend will likely continue across the market as more and more consumers adopt smartphones. 

So, now that you have a glimpse into what the threat landscape has in store for us in 2012, you are probably wondering how to keep yourself protected.  Solera Networks offered the following five tips that you can practice to help keep attacks at bay.  Think of them as New Year’s resolutions with an internet security flair:

Remove Bloatware

Bloatware can be described as the pre-installed software that comes on your new device, whether it’s a laptop, desktop, tablet, smartphone, etc.  While some of the pre-installed software is useful, bloatware is hardly ever used, making it a drain on your resources.  Trial software is a good example, and unless you plan on using it, any bloatware should be uninstalled as soon as possible through your Control Panel.  The goal here is to have complete control over your device, which bloatware makes difficult with its unwanted popups and resource-hogging behavior.

Tweak OS and Application Settings

Solera recommends looking over the settings of your operating system as well as your applications to make sure they are as secure as possible.  For example, you should disable certain browser plugins that are known to contain vulnerabilities.  One specific tip in this area would be to disable links in Outlook messages, as some may lead to malicious sites.

Backups, Backups, and more Backups

Added peace of mind can come from performing backups of your important data on a regular basis.  Items such as email should receive priority, and Solera suggests backing up data to an external hard drive at least once a week to protect yourself in case an unfortunate event occurs.  After all, the last thing you want to do is be vulnerable to data loss.

Manage Passwords Properly

Passwords are a huge part of online security.  Unfortunately, they can also be hard to remember, particularly if you have a lot of online accounts.  It may be easy to remember one username and password combination for all of your accounts, but it can also lead to disaster if one is hacked.  Each account should have its own unique password, and each password should meet minimum standards for length, combining symbols, numbers, letters, etc.  In addition to these rules, it’s a good idea to change your passwords frequently.

All of these steps may seem like a pain to follow, but there is technology that can help.  For instance, some laptops have biometric finger scanners that add increased security to the login process.  If this does not apply to you, there is a host of software on the market that will help you manage your passwords and will set strict standards for you.

Be Prepared

The aforementioned steps can help beef up security, but cybercriminals are working around the clock to devise new methods of attack.  According to Solera, professionals in the network security field should be prepared for a swift response should an incident occur.  While reviewing log files is good, keeping traffic records of vital network segments should be practiced as well.  Doing so will help with pinpointing the cause and severity of any malicious activity. 

For more on this topic, visit http://www.marketwatch.com/story/solera-networks-foresees-top-threats-for-2012-recommends-security-resolutions-for-increased-online-safety-in-the-new-year-2012-01-11