Trend Micro has outlined its security predictions for 2014, and it has forecast that one major data breach will occur every month next year.
It has also predicted an increase in advanced mobile banking and targeted attacks, along with critical infrastructure threats and challenges presented by the internet of everything and deep web.
To accompany the predictions, Trend Micro has released a nine-part video documentary entitled '2020: The Series" which forecasts a technology-saturated future society, with a subsequent higher number of cyber threats.
Raimund Genes, CTO, Trend Micro, said, "From mobile banking vulnerabilities and targeted attacks, to growing privacy concerns and the potential of a major breach every month, 2014 promises to be a prolific year for cybercrime. We will also see the evolution of the IoE, which serves as a prelude to the surge in technological advances as the decade closes.
"In terms of mobile malware, user behaviour has changed, everything is done via android, and if you are infected then bad luck, you may have a man-in-the-middle. As a result there will be a stronger demand for mobile security worldwide."
Trend Micro has forecasted that the number of malicious and high-risk Android apps will reach 3 million.
With the predicted rise in personal smart devices such as watches and eyewear, Genes believes that beyond 2014 identity theft will become an even greater reality.
He is also conscious that SMEs need to carefully consider their security strategy, "An SME is not an expert in security matters, let's never forget that. IT is security extremely complex nowadays, big organisations have huge teams and outsourcers who protect the group. Attacks against SMEs are as bad as the ones against top companies, the size of the company does not dictate the toxicity of the attack. SMEs need a security service from an external company. Quite often they don't have the necessary knowhow, and often have a part-time administrator."
He is also wary of the way businesses fail to acknowledge their responsibility for their data once it is on the cloud, "Companies often disregard their responsibility for their own data once it is on the cloud, but it is still their data. If it is compromised or lost, they've got a big problem. True, it is stored elsewhere, but diligence is always paramount."
