Technology advancements make our lives undeniably easier. However, it also gives great power to cybercriminals. For example, thanks to the scale implementation of cloud technology, there has been a surge in data breach activity,even within the largest corporations in the world. Take Facebook for instance, which has billions of users worldwide, and has experienced enormous breaching that saw half a billion users’ information leaked online. Further, since the adoption of IoT, there have been reports of increased risks posed by cybercriminals. Fortunately, the world of criminology and policing is catching up, which means they’re better equipped to fight back and stop these elusive criminals. Below, we let you in on the most recent cybercrime trends.
Risks Using Internet of Things
The Internet of Things (IoT) is a fantastic concept that offers us great ease. As such, more businesses than ever before are integrating this tech. For those of you that don’t know, IoT refers to devices that talk to each other. For example, Google Home can talk to your lights to let you control them. Although this is advantageous for businesses, it also provides more access points for cybercriminals. Unfortunately, people tend to buy tech and leave it, without realising sensitive information passes through them. Therefore, they need to be kept updated along with physical computers.
Increased Access to Malware
Malware used to be seen as a technical virus created by genius minds. However, they are becoming more accessible than ever before. This doesn’t mean everyone knows how to launch a malware attack; it means they’re now being sold online. Typically, these Malware-as-a-Service (MaaS) businesses operate on the dark web, which has become more well-known than ever before because people are searching for anonymity online. As a result of these business operations, anyone without computer knowledge can run an attack.
Fortunately, law enforcement is getting better at fighting back across the dark web, with agencies set up to analyse chatter and track usage. If you want to help fight virtual crime, you should complete a BA in policing and criminology at Wilfred Laurier University to boost your career.
Cryptojacking
Cryptocurrency has grown exponentially over the last couple of years, with mainstream merchants starting to acknowledge the likes of Bitcoin as a legitimate payment method. However, this means that there’s an increase in attacks directed at crypto. The most common attack is cryptojacking, which involves planting malware and mining for coins. Unfortunately, once the malware is planted, all the criminals have to do is sit and wait for the funds to increase. Owing to the worth of some cryptocurrencies being in the billions, this is an extremely lucrative revenue stream for cybercriminals.
AI Attacks
Artificial Intelligence (AI), is slowly being integrated into all areas of business. However, it’s proving to be an open invitation for cybercrime. Some of the AI is designed to detect attacks, but the criminals are using AI to create software capable of changing and learning.
COVID-Related Security Threats
Despite the Covid-19 pandemic being a global tragedy, the cybercriminals saw it as an open invitation for exploitation. Unfortunately, it’s predicted that a quarter of all COVID websites are malicious. Further, false emails have been sent out under the guise of the World Help Organization (WHO). The number of COVID phishing emails sent out was staggering, with Google estimating around 18 million attacks daily.
Luckily, the Covid-19 threat is lessening, with vaccinations rolling out and lockdowns lifting. However, cybercriminals know that healthcare-related phishing attacks work. Therefore, they will continue to use email attacks as a means of exploitation.
Ransomware and Malware Attacks
Wherever there is the internet, there is ransomware and malware. However, since 2020, there has been an explosion in the number of cyberattacks of this kind. In particular, they are being used to steal people’s credentials, money, and other data. Impressively, cybercriminals find large success by pretending to be legitimate brands. In fact, these attacks make up for around 88% of all malware and ransomware attacks.
More people have been working from home than ever before, which has made employees more vulnerable. Unfortunately, they don’t have access to the same measure of defence as they would in the office. This means that businesses need to learn and liaise with remote workers to make their systems secure.
Deepfakes
Deepfakes are a relatively new phenomenon invented by Reddit users back in 2017. The concept is that criminals can edit photos and videos to make realistic fakes. Using AI, cyber criminals are using deepfakes to deliver fake news and manipulate the media, financial markets, and branches of politics. As an example, you can check out this clip of Obama delivering fake news. Although it doesn’t sound that threatening, if you think about the business world,cybercriminals can use this technology to deepfake CEOs and steal millions. Further, they can spread false information and significantly damage reputations.
Cloud Vulnerabilities
Businesses have been adopting cloud services for the past two years, with more information being stored on the cloud than ever before. Unfortunately, this makes the data easier for cybercriminals to breach. As mentioned previously, giants like Facebook have suffered huge data leaks. The most common types of cloud attacks include DDoS, insider threats, and account hacking. Even with the likes of Amazon and Google working tirelessly to update their security systems, there will always be vulnerabilities.
AI Fuzzing
We already know that AI is being used by criminals to create sophisticated software. Further, they’re using AI to enhance the capabilities of classic fuzzing. This means cybercriminals have complex AI tools on hand that work tirelessly to highlight vulnerabilities. Equipped with this type of technology, cybercriminals can launch zero-day attacks at a much faster rate.
Technology is a fantastic development that can have catastrophic consequences when used in the wrong hands. All that businesses and law enforcement agencies can do is try and combat cybercrime, which they are getting pretty good at. However, unfortunately, the majority of cybercrime relies on human vulnerabilities. Therefore, providing education to the most vulnerable will help in the fight.
