Looking Forward - Cybercrime Predictions For The New Year
By: Jim Stickley and Tina Davis
March 18, 2019
As if hacking exploits of last year were not scary enough (remember: Facebook, Cambridge Analytica, Twitter and T-Mobile, City of Atlanta, Exactis, Adidas, FedEx, Ticketmaster, and countless medical providers)–the list goes on and on with hacks stealing data from millions upon millions of people worldwide. It seems the public is only aware of the most egregious hacks making the evening news, but there are many more that get buried by the news of the day. Hackers continue to evolve–using tactics that are proven successful and they sharpen those tactics into well-targeted and highly successful hacking exploits. The damage done in 2018 was a wild ride for consumers, and that ride continues into 2019 with cyber-threat landscape predictions from IBM X-Force security researchers.
IBM-X-Force looks at the emerging hacking trends of 2018 to determine the clues and indicators of cybercrimes to come in this new year. Below are just a few of the cybercrime waves we can expect to see in 2019.
- Social Security Numbers. Due to the massive theft of Social Security Numbers, corporations need to move away from using them as an identifier. IBM X-Force suggests using one-time pin numbers that lead to two-factor authentication. They also suggest investing in biometric security using voice patterns, iris or retina eye patterns, and fingerprint patterns. These unique patterns make it extremely difficult for hackers to duplicate. The best protection available is a simple credit freeze. If you are not expecting to use your SSN in the near future, freeze it so criminals can't use it.
- Automated Customer Service Systems. Travel kiosks and other data systems, where individuals do their own check-ins at airports, hotels, and public buildings to speed up their access, are continued hacking targets. 2018 saw a resurgence in ATM attacks we’ll continue to see those in 2019, as hacks of public-facing self-service platforms continue to grow.
- Travel and Hospitality. 2018 saw mega-breaches involving travel like with airlines and hotels. IBM X-Force believes those 2018 hacks are just the beginning and predicts 2019 will see even more data breaches in these industries. The stolen data includes passport numbers and driver license information. Theft of this data easily leads to identity theft and targeted attacks on individuals via phishing–by using their stolen data–including victim’s interests and motivations–for socially engineered phishing attacks.
It’s important to never let your guard down. Protect your information as best you can. That means using strong passwords as well as unique ones for all online accounts, don’t provide personal information via email (email should be considered unsecure as a communication method) and be aware of who is around when discussing personally identifying information for yourself as well as for customers, clients, and members. Use ATMs in well-lit and secured locations. Use a secure internet connection when checking in for flights or other transportation methods and never provide payment information to anyone unless you initiated the call or transaction.