Adobe Next Big Target of Computer Security-related Attacks

·         Social networking sites such as Facebook will face more sophisticated threats as the number of users grows.

·         The explosion of applications on Facebook and other services will be an ideal vector for cybercriminals, who will take advantage of friends trusting friends to click links they might otherwise treat cautiously.

·         HTML 5 will blur the line between desktop and online applications. This, along with the release of Google Chrome OS, will create another opportunity for malware writers to prey on users.

·         Email attachments have delivered malware for years, yet the increasing number of attacks targeted at corporations, journalists, and individual users often fool them into downloading Trojans and other malware.

·         Cybercriminals have long picked on Microsoft products due to their popularity. In 2010, we anticipate Adobe software, especially Acrobat Reader and Flash, will take the top spot.

·         Banking Trojans will become more clever, sometimes interrupting a legitimate transaction to make an unauthorized withdrawal.

·         Botnets are the leading infrastructure for cybercriminals, used for actions from spamming to identity theft. Recent successes in shutting down botnets will force their controllers to switch to alternate, less vulnerable methods of command, including peer-to-peer setups.

In spite of the worldwide scope of botnets, McAfee Labs anticipates even more successes in the fight against all forms of cybercrime in 2010. Security Magazine readers can download the full report from: