On December 7 we will release our MessageLabs Intelligence 2010 Annual Security Report looking back at the changes in the threat landscape during 2010. We also use the opportunity to look ahead at potential trends for next year. In the days leading up to the publication of the report we will share a few of these trends.

Rogue Marketplace Vendors Exploit Online Digital Currencies
In 2011 social networking sites and online marketplaces will roll-out their own in-house digital virtual currencies. As an example one site already has a system in place that uses “Credits.” Attacks will soon be designed to seek to exploit these new areas for financial fraud, including specialized malware, rogue applications and phishing attacks.

We expect more social networking environments and online marketplaces will move towards adopting this approach, and that these systems will come under prolonged attack and a weakness in one will be identified as the target in a mainstream malware attack or phishing scam in 2011. These currencies will also be exploited as a means of transferring ill gotten gains outside of national and international banking regulatory and anti-laundering regimes.

Monday: Hackers Exploit Router Vulnerabilities and Cybercriminals Usurp URL Shortening Services

Published earlier:
 

• Global Spam Trends: http://www.symantec.com/connect/blogs/2011-trends-global-spam
• Distributed Workforce Drives Security Policies:  http://www.symantec.com/connect/blogs/2011-trends-distributed-workforce-drives-security-policies
• Security and Services Continue Migrate to the Cloud: http://www.symantec.com/connect/blogs/2011-trends-security-and-services-continue-migrate-cloud
• Making Web Security Work in an Era of Pervasive Threats: http://www.symantec.com/connect/blogs/2011-trends-making-web-security-work-era-pervasive-threats
• Stuxnet Strikes Up Malware Specialization: http://www.symantec.com/connect/blogs/2011-trends-stuxnet-strikes-malware-specialization
• Trending Topics Fashioned to Follow the News: http://www.symantec.com/connect/blogs/2011-trends-trending-topics-fashioned-follow-news
• Automation Advances Targeted Attacks: http://www.symantec.com/connect/blogs/2011-trends-automation-advances-targeted-attacks
• Targeted Attacks Diversify: http://www.symantec.com/connect/blogs/2011-trends-targeted-attacks-diversify
• Botnets Evolve with Steganography: http://www.symantec.com/connect/blogs/2011-trends-botnets-evolve-steganography