McAfee: Apple, Google TV, Foursquare to be Malware Targets in 2011

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.