Symantec warns of online security threats growth

Threats to online security have grown and evolved considerably in 2012.

From the threats of cyberespionage and industrial espionage to the widespread, chronic problems of malware and phishing, we have seen constant innovation from malware authors.

With mobile, it's not vulnerability that will get you

As expected, the amount of mobile threats continue to rise. In 2012, mobile malware increased by 58% with a 30% increase in the number of mobile OS vulnerabilities, it might be tempting to blame them for the increase in malware.

But this would be wrong.

Today, mobile vulnerabilities have little or no correlation to mobile malware. Apple's iOS had the most documented vulnerabilities in 2012, but only one threat created for the platform.

In contrast, the Android OS had only eight vulnerabilities, but led the way in mobile malware in 2012. Mobile malware in 2012 clearly didn't need vulnerabilities to succeed.

Small businesses are the path of least resistance for attackers

During the last year, we saw 42% increase in targeted attacks overall and small businesses account for 31% of all those attacks.

Why?

Criminal activity is driven by opportunity. With cybercrimes, that opportunity appears to be with small businesses that may believe they are immune to attacks or have nothing of value to steal and so often don't protect their assets well enough.

Even worse, the lack of adequate security practices by small businesses threatens all of us.

Attackers often choose to breach the weaker defences of small business that has a business relationship with the ultimate target, using the smaller company to leap from into the larger organisation.

For more information, check out the Symantec Internet Security Threat Report here