McAfee’s predictions for 2011

McAfee, one of the world’s biggest computer security organizations, has just unveiled its predictions for cyber attack targets in 2011 and the report features several platforms that are quite common. On the list are both the Android and iPhone along with several other programs and devices. 

URL Shorteners
McAfee believes that URL-shortening programs like goo.gl will be used for spamming and spreading malicious content. These services are used by many people to share links over social media sites so they are well suited for cyber criminals spreading malicious material. McAfee recently released its own URL shortener, McAf.ee, that strives to make URL shortening more secure.

Geolocation Services
A second likely target for cyber criminals will be geolocation services such as Foursquare and Facebook Places, since they show personal information like the user’s location and what applications they’re using and allow for a more targeted attack. 

Smartphones
Mobile devices are expected to be a serious target for cyber criminals as more people are doing business on their smartphones. Many people do not take the proper steps to make sure that their smartphones are secure enough for business use, so the devices are particularly vulnerable. For tips on securing your smartphone, check out this article.

The other targets, as outlined by McAfee, are Apple products and Google TV as well as a rise in politically-motivated attacks a la Wikileaks.  

For more information on these threats, read this article on Tech Crunch. Also, go towww.mcafee.com for information on the latest threats and advice on keeping your devices secure.