Phishing emails and malware-infected links remain cyber risks in 2019, but data services company Experian predicts several new types of attacks taking place.
In its annual Data Breach Industry Forecast, Experian predicts three new emerging threats: biometric hacking, gaming as a cyber attack launch point, and multi-vector dark web attacks.
As biometric data continues to integrate into technology authentication processes, hackers are proving where there’s a will; there’s a way.
“Most people don’t realize how much biometrics affect daily life,” Michael Bruemmer, vice president of Experian’s data breach resolution group, told Risk & Insurance.
Some Android phones have unlocked when shown a photograph of their owners’ faces. Additionally, scans of facial features and fingerprints are stored and can be hacked the same as a typed password.
Experian believes the cyber attack many are not ready for in 2019 is the multi-vector attack, that turns our devices against us.
Malicious coding will infect your device and will add your computer to the attacker’s web of machines to create a more extensive network, also known as a botnet.
Botnets are the workhorses of the Internet and even beneficial to maintaining smooth user experience, according to security firm Norton.
Once the botnet’s owner is in control, they will usually use your machine to carry out other nefarious tasks including emailing spam and generating fake Internet traffic for financial gain.
“You don’t have to be technologically sophisticated to carry out an attack like this. You can buy kits on the dark web and follow the instructions to install malware, or hack into Bluetooth, or spoof a free public WiFi spot,” Bruemmer told Risk & Insurance.
Read Experian’s full report and their scorecard of past predictions here.
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