cybersecurity

We are SO not all about doom and gloom here at FintekNews, but we admit these potential cyber threats have us a bit on edge. MIT Technology Review has published a list of what it believes are the top 6 potential cybersecurity threats for 2018, and they include more huge data breaches, such as the Equifax breach (yikes!), "the weaponization of AI" (double yikes!) and more. Read this - worry a bit - and then go have a gin martini and tell yourself it will all be okay.

(Cindy Taylor/Publisher)


"Hackers are constantly finding new targets and refining the tools they use to break through cyberdefenses. The following are some significant threats to look out for this year.

More huge data breaches

The cyberattack on the Equifax credit reporting agency in 2017, which led to the theft of Social Security numbers, birth dates, and other data on almost half the U.S. population, was a stark reminder that hackers are thinking big when it comes to targets. Other companies that hold lots of sensitive information will be in their sights in 2018. Marc Goodman, a security expert and the author of

Future Crimes

, thinks data brokers who hold information about things such as people’s personal Web browsing habits will be especially popular targets. “These companies are unregulated, and when one leaks, all hell will break loose,” he says.

Ransomware in the cloud

The past 12 months have seen a plague of ransomware attacks, with targets including Britain’s National Health Service, San Francisco’s light-rail network, and big companies such as FedEx. Ransomware is a relatively simple form of malware that breaches defenses and locks down computer files using strong encryption. Hackers then demand money in exchange for digital keys to unlock the data. Victims will often pay, especially if the material encrypted hasn’t been backed up.

The weaponization of AI

This year will see the emergence of an AI-driven arms race. Security firms and researchers have been using machine-learning models, neural networks, and other AI technologies for a while to better anticipate attacks, and to spot ones already under way. It’s highly likely that hackers are adopting the same technology to strike back..."


Full story at Technologyreview.com