Researchers at McAfee Labs predicted on Dec. 28 that
cyber-criminals will target the latest and talked about online platforms,
including Google TV, Apple’s iPhone, and foursquare, in 2011.
Noting that the threats landscape has “changed
considerably” in 2010, McAfee Labs’ 2011 Threat Predictions report said
criminals will exploit geo-location services, social networking tools, mobile
devices and other online platforms in 2011. The “marked” increase in malware
sophistication is also expected to continue, according to the report.
The report painted a particularly bleak picture for
Apple, which had long flown under the malware radar. Cyber-criminals had ignored
the smaller Mac market in favor of the larger Windows user base, but security
experts had predicted it was just a matter of time.
“Mac users must remember that less targeted is not
the same as invulnerable,” said Richard Wang, manager of SophosLabs.
Mac-targeted malware will “continue to increase in
sophistication” in 2011, according to McAfee Labs, as criminals take aim at Mac
OS X, iPads and iPhones. The popularity
of these products, especially in the business environment, combined with the
“lack of user understanding” about securing them, will make “Apple botnets and
Trojans” a “common occurrence” rather than a “rare encounter,” predicted the
researchers.
For more, read the eWeek article: Apple, Google TV, Foursquare to Face Malware Attacks in 2011, Says McAfee.
