New, stronger cyberthreats seen for 2013

Georgia Tech researchers, in a cyberthreat forecast for 2013, warn new and increasingly sophisticated means to capture and exploit user data will be seen. The report was released at the annual Georgia Tech Institute of Technology Cyber Security Summit, a gathering of industry and academic leaders in the field of cybersecurity. Specific threats predicted for the coming year include cloud-based botnets of virtual attack systems, manipulation of search-engine algorithms and other automated mechanisms that control what information is presented to Internet users, mobile browser and mobile payment vulnerabilities, and strengthened malware employing new methods of hindering malware detection. "Every year, security researchers and experts see new evolutions in cyber threats to people, businesses and governments," Wenke Lee, director of the Georgia Tech Information Security Center, said. "In 2013, we expect the continued movement of business and consumer data onto mobile devices and into the cloud will lure cyber criminals into attacking these relatively secure, but extremely tempting, technology platforms," Lee said in a Georgia Tech release Wednesday.