5 security threats to watch out for in 2015
Security and tech analyst firms highlight the threats related to the Internet of Things, new malware in hackers’ arsenal and personal health information being a target as key trends heading into the new year.
NEW WEAPON IN HACKERS' ARSENAL: SEEK-AND-DESTROY "BLASTWARE"
Fortinet also flagged a new trend of malware – “blastware” – that could lead to hackers being able to infiltrate systems, gather data, then wipe out the information and hard drives to cover their tracks and thwart forensic investigation efforts.
The company observed the first indications of blastware this year, named Dorkbot/NGRbot. Hackers had code routines built in that, if altered, would self-destruct and wipe out all information on the hard drive, and this is a direct response to the rise of incident response services, it said.
“Fortinet predicts that advanced persistent threat (APT) developers will build in sophisticated self-destruct mechanisms in seek-and-destroy fashion that could hamper law enforcement and forensics efforts as these resources increase to fight cyber crime,” it stated. “Hackers may also seek to use these tactics for ransom – ie to destroy data if ransom isn’t paid in a certain timeframe.”