Apologies in advance, but 2018 will probably be every bit as crummy as 2017. That’s the glum, but probably realistic, forecast of a report put out by McAfee Labs Wednesday morning.
In its report, the firm which was spun off by Intel (INTC) in April, expects continued risks from malware authors, phishing attackers, ransomware scams and even, perhaps, the companies selling smart home devices.
On the bright-ish side, McAfee’s report isn’t calling for a rise in attacks on newer online defenses like two-step verification or biometric unlocking for your mobile devices. Instead, we’re in store for more of the same annoyances.
Hackers aren’t the only ones that might be targeting you this year. (Image: U.S. Air Force photo/Airman 1st Class Aaron Stout)
Machine learning can make the bad guys more efficient too
McAfee’s report leads off by predicting that the same artificial-intelligence techniques used to guess what you want to read or buy will soon be pointed at you for offensive purposes.
For example, it suggests that machine learning could strengthen “social engineering” attacks that prey on people’s inclination to trust something that they think comes from a friend.
“We expect to see more advancements in the use of machine learning and analytics by attackers to accelerate and sharpen social engineering attacks — phishing, fraud, spyware, and scams — across more industry sectors than they can do today using manual reconnaissance techniques,” said McAfee Labs vice president Vincent Weafer.
But it’s not a one-sided fight. The companies trying to defend you online are using techniques to keep your data safe. Facebook (FB), for instance, already runs every login through a bunch of machine-learning algorithms to see if it falls outside your usual habits.
And there might even be an upside here. Malware authors will now have to worry about machines taking their jobs, just like everybody else.
Ransomware isn’t going away, but it may go away from you
McAfee’s researchers think that ransomware — when an attacker implants software on your device that encrypts your data and locks you out unless you pay a ransom — is becoming slightly less profitable.
“McAfee Labs saw total ransomware grow 56% over the past four quarters, but evidence from McAfee Advanced Threat Research indicates that the number of ransomware payments has declined over the last year,” the company stated in its report.
What’s next? Going where the money is. McAfee suggests we’ll see targeted actions to annoy or embarrass particular targets chosen for their bank accounts.
“We believe it more likely and more profitable for cybercriminals to place ransomware on a wealthy family’s thermostat in the dead of winter, than to set the homes of millions ablaze through their coffeemakers.”