McAfee has just shared its threat predictions for the new year and it’s not looking good. According to the security company, there are still a few internet goons out there trying to nick your data.
One of the company’s top threat predictions relates to the spread of new deepfakes. These manipulated images or altered videos can be used to distort the truth, affect election outcomes and create general chaos.
Related: Watch this impressionist’s terrifying deepfake video
But people could also use these deepfakes to trick facial recognition software, which has become more prevalent as an unlock-feature in phones. This could mean that your sensitive info would be available to anyone who’s capable of copying your face.
While deepfakes are nothing new, McAfee predicts that they’re set to ramp up in volume for 2020 – which isn’t great news considering that there’s an American election on the horizon.
McAfee also predicts that ransomware gangs are going to get organised, working in teams to steal data and money. According to the company, there’s a growing trend of these gangs launching two-wave extortion attacks – and they’re targeting corporate networks in particular. This means your IT team is probably going to be pretty busy next year, so be extra nice to them.
Related: Best antivirus 2019
Apparently, the real weak link in 2020 security will be application programme interfaces (API). These are an integral part of the ecosystem for app use, but often don’t have tight security. This little oversight could give any lurkers a gateway to sensitive data, particularly as APIs are a key part of cloud environments.
McAfee’s final prediction delivers some less gloomy news.
Container technologies will continue to grow in popularity. Because of the workload patterns in containerised technology, security teams will need to conduct risk assessments before applications are deployed. This means that these assessments are shifted forward in the timeline, so hopefully any new app vulnerabilities will be caught before they can be exploited.
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
