Cyber threats 2012: search poisoning, mobile Web attacks, selling social-media data

October 12, 2011

The year ahead will feature new and increasingly sophisticated means to capture and exploit user data, as well as escalating battles over the control of online information that threatens to compromise content and erode public trust and privacy.

Those were the findings announced by the Georgia Tech Information Security Center (GTISC) and the Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI) in the Georgia Tech Emerging Cyber Threats Report for 2012.

Specific threats

  • Search Poisoning: Attackers will increasingly use SEO techniques to optimize malicious links among search results, so that users are more likely to click on a URL because it ranks highly on Google or other search engines.
  • Mobile Web-based Attacks: Expect increased attacks aimed specifically against mobile Web browsers as the tension between usability and security, along with device constraints (including small screen size), make it difficult to solve mobile Web browser security flaws.
  • Stolen Cyber Data Use for Marketing: The market for stolen cyber data will continue to evolve as botnets capture private user information shared by social media platforms and sell it directly to legitimate business channels such as lead-generation and marketing.

“We continue to witness cyber attacks of unprecedented sophistication and reach, demonstrating that malicious actors have the ability to compromise and control millions of computers that belong to governments, private enterprises and ordinary citizens,” said Mustaque Ahamad, director of GTISC.

“Our adversaries, whether motivated by monetary gain, political/social ideology, or otherwise are becoming increasingly sophisticated and better funded,” said Bo Rotoloni, director of GTRI’s Cyber Technology and Information Security Laboratory (CTISL).


How botnets will rip you off

  • Botnet controllers build massive information profiles on their compromised users and sell the data to the highest bidder.
  • Advanced persistent adversaries query botnet operators in search of already compromised machines belonging to their attack targets.
  • Bad guys will borrow techniques from black hat SEO to deceive current botnet defenses like dynamic reputation systems.

“Acting as individuals or groups, these entities know no boundaries, making cyber security a global problem. We can no longer assume our data is safe sitting behind perimeter-protected networks. Attacks penetrate our systems through ubiquitous protocols, mobile devices and social engineering, circumventing the network perimeter.

“Our best defense on the growing cyber warfront is found in cooperative education and awareness, best-of-breed tools and robust policy developed collaboratively by industry, academia and government.”

Video coming soon

Georgia Tech Emerging Cyber Threats Report for 2012, compiled by the Georgia Tech Information Security Center and Georgia Tech Research Institute”.