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A look into 2016

What we have learned from 2015 – malware, hacks, state sponsored attacks, shaming
and black mail

In 2015, 38% more security incidents were reported than in 2014. Some of them have been the
headlines of major media outlets. The Ashley Madison hack revealed 37 million identities and
intimate details followed by lawsuits proving the importance of data security and privacy. Last
Pass hack in June 2015 is another example of how 7 million users can lose sensitive data and
trust. Not only companies were affected by security breaches, the hack on the US federal
records exposed the identity of more than 14 million current and former civilian US government
employees.

2015 has also brought the first smart car hack as well as the first ransomware for Linux users.
Also, 2015 was the year of ransomware attacks making 179,209 victims, counted only by
security company Kaspersky.

Interestingly enough, more than 62% of exploits used in cyberattacks are distributed through
browsers and 90% of the most common World Wide Web exploits are delivered from advertising
networks.

All these developments have been the focus of CyberGhost in the past year. Although we are a
privacy company, we have introduced protection against malicious websites as well as the ad
blocker feature. In this way we can ensure a smooth and safe online experience.

What to expect in 2016

Internet is everywhere, so are the lurking cybercriminals. It’s easier than ever before to hack into
a Wi-Fi network, as proven even by a seven year old girl. Encrypting data remains the solely
solution for this dangers, particularly when mobile devices are accounted for more than 50% of
ecommerce sales.

Malware & Adware

As everything around us is becoming smart, so will the attacks evolve using more polymorphic
behaviors than before. We should also expect a development of complex adware in the next
future. Highly effective and targeted attacks will replace large scale operations making law
enforcement agencies work more intense into taking down criminal networks. The new magic
hat or Tarnkappe for illicit activities will be the localization of malware deployment.

Encryption

Encryption has shown a revolutionary financial ecosystem can come to life. The evolution of the
cryptocurrency Bitcoin in such a very short time is a validation for it. Cryptographic standards
are also the basis of the internet as we know it. United Nations declared access to the Internet a

70 Cyber Warnings E-Magazine – February 2016 Edition
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