At the start of 2010, we surveyed the events of the last decade and saw many trends and patterns–most of them headed upward toward more widespread, more diverse and more sophisticated dangers.
Six months on, these patterns are clearly continuing. Cybercrime has become an established part of online life, impacting businesses and private individuals alike. Issues of privacy and the protection of sensitive data remain paramount as people share more and more, often without considering the potential value of the information they are making public.
Malware and spam continue to flood networks, with the combination of the two making a comeback in the recent upsurge in spammed emails bearing malicious links. Issues of trust have become central to business, as online trading becomes a more important part of the economy while user faith in the safety of the web is eroded by every story of leaked data.
In response, businesses are required to make much greater efforts to ensure the security of their networks and their data, protecting themselves from external malware and hacking attacks as well as leakage from within.
Encryption is becoming a more vital part of any corporate IT policy.
Anyone running a website needs to keep that safe too, addressing vulnerabilities in software and other potential loopholes that could allow the bad guys to compromise their site and harvest data or push malware on their visitors.