DALLAS, Feb. 11, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- According to Trend
Micro Incorporated's (TYO: 4704; TSE: 4704) 2013 annual threat
roundup report, "Cashing in on Digital Information," security
breaches, cyber criminals, and organized attacks made it nearly
impossible to keep personal and financial data private. Large-scale
attacks on privacy and security are detailed in the report that
covers online bank hacking, mobile threats, infrastructure attacks,
and others.
This annual report provides an insight into the vulnerabilities
of today's technology that is rapidly becoming interconnected and
"smart." Unfortunately, the new technology being embraced may give
more opportunities for criminals to thrive, as they evolve their
cyber-attacks and endanger business, including online banks and
retailers, while moving closer to homes and individuals through
mobile technology.
"Last year encompassed major security breaches, increased
malware, and mobile threats that impacted people from all walks of
life around the world," said Raimund Genes, CTO, Trend Micro. "Now
more than ever, consumers and corporations alike must be diligent
in understanding their vulnerabilities, and what should be done
from a security perspective to better protect personal data and
guard against compromised privacy. While this report details the
threat landscape of 2013, more importantly it explains how these
threats will continue to evolve and what should be done to mitigate
the negative impact."
Report highlights include:
- Financial Threats: As online banking malware that
directly target victims' finances intensified globally this year,
prolific ransomware increased and evolved into Cryptolocker
throughout the year.
- Mobile Threats: There was a sizable increase in both
volume and sophistication of mobile threats, as PC-based threats
transitioned to mobile platforms. By the end of 2013, we saw a
total of 1.4 million malicious and high-risk Android apps being
identified. And Apple users are not immune. 2013 saw an increase in
phishing attacks specifically targeting Apple users as criminals
recognize the potential revenue from this install base.
- Personal Privacy: Through social networking and
"personal cloud" accounts, personal privacy became a recurring
issue. Aggressive phishing attacks riding on the release of popular
products such as PS4 and Xbox One emerged to compromise personal
information.
- Infrastructure Attacks: High-profile incidents of
infrastructure being targeted by cyber-attacks became a reality in
South Korea, demonstrating how
critical operations can be impacted on a broad scale.
- Unsupported Software: 2013 saw increased awareness
regarding unsupported versions of Java and Windows XP, which will
present widespread security challenges as patches and upgrades
cease when support for XP ends April
2014.
Supporting assets:
The report can be found here:
http://about-threats.trendmicro.com/us/security-roundup/2013/annual/cashing-in-on-digital-information/
The full report can be found here:
http://www.trendmicro.com/cloud-content/us/pdfs/security-intelligence/reports/rpt-cashing-in-on-digital-information.pdf
About Trend Micro
Trend Micro Incorporated, a global
leader in security software, rated number one in server security
(IDC, 2013), strives to make the world safe for exchanging digital
information. Built on 25 years of experience, our solutions for
consumers, businesses and governments provide layered data security
to protect information on mobile devices, endpoints, gateways,
servers and the cloud. Trend Micro enables the smart protection of
information, with innovative security technology that is simple to
deploy and manage, and fits an evolving ecosystem. All of our
solutions are powered by cloud-based global threat intelligence,
the Trend Micro™ Smart Protection Network™ infrastructure, and are
supported by over 1,200 threat experts around the globe. For more
information, visit TrendMicro.com.
SOURCE Trend Micro Incorporated