VeriSign iDefense report predicts security trends in 2009

According to a new report held by VeriSign iDefense Security Intelligence Services the year 2008 was determined as a time when security threats and malicious activity reached a tipping point. This report also covered several issues. It showed that attacks on critical Infrastructure Systems and Cyber Warfare will increase in 2009. The 2008's most serious security threats were analyzed and new trends and security disruptors were predicted. One of the results of this report expects that 2009 will be the year when critical infrastructures systems become prime targets for cyber criminals. It is not surprising that during the past years online fraud continued to increase in both frequency and severity. Moreover, cyber warfare touched present political climate, and several regions are observing a rise in politically and financially motivated activities. 

The report called "2009 Cyber Threats and Trends" gives comments on different online fraud activities for different countries. For example, Russian hackers are the most effective group when it comes to cyber fraud, while Chinese hackers utilize amateur hacking groups for low-level espionage operations. The report suggests some predictions and long-term disruptors for 2009 year. Among them are issues on critical infrastructure, the current global financial crisis, cyber warfare, Middle Eastern cyber cartels, etc. Critical Infrastructure, notably the Supervisory Control and Data, Acquisition systems (SCADA) that operate them will likely see increased attacks in 2009. The current global financial crisis will provide unprecedented opportunities for cyber criminals or spies to exploit the turmoil caused by the crisis and the resulting institutional mergers, acquisitions, and collapses. The FastFlux infrastructure also will be more popular. Cyber Warfare has gone from a purely theoretical tool to a technically practical, common component of most political arguments. VeriSign iDefense believes organizations or groups aligned with Russia will perpetrate the majority of these attacks. Middle Eastern cyber cartels will likely increase online fraud operations to support their agendas.