SANTA CLARA, CA, Dec 06, 2010 (MARKETWIRE via COMTEX) –
New technologies have pioneered ways for businesses and consumers
to benefit from sharing data in unprecedented ways, yet those
benefits have come at the cost of an increased risk of security
exploits and cybercrime. Security breaches escalated in 2010, and
Cenzic, the leading provider of Web application security solutions,
expects this trend to continue and grow in 2011. Issues fueling this
rise will include the decreasing level of computer skill needed to
hack, the increasing popularity of cloud computing, Android and iOS
mobile platforms and the increased connectedness of devices, and the
desire of governments to engage in cyber terrorism. The year will
also see the emergence of business extortion as Wikileaks and its
contributors race to publish the dirtiest secrets of big businesses.
“Many of the cyber attacks we will see in 2011 will be the familiar
ones, such as cross site scripting and SQL injection attacks. The
twist however, will be the availability of open source hacking kits,
which turn an average computer user with a modicum of Internet skills
into a hacker,” said John Weinschenk, president and CEO of Cenzic.
“As the barriers to hacking are removed, the number of hackers will
rise and the hunt will be on for the quickest route to the biggest
payouts. Ultimately, we may see hackers targeting unprecedented
items, such as healthcare devices, cars, and home automation
devices.”
Cenzic’s John Weinschenk projects the following security trends will
emerge in 2011:
Security of Mobile Apps
Smartphone adoption is up and the number of
mobile applications is growing exponentially. On the go smartphone
access will be a concern to corporations that don’t want employees
accessing company secrets via unsecured mobile networks. For
consumers, as banks and ecommerce sites deploy apps that give
customers unprecedented access to their bank accounts, security
becomes more important than ever.
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New Platforms
The large user base created by wide scale adoption of
iOS, and Android will increasingly make these platforms a target for
hackers in 2011, which will likely usher in high profile mobile
breaches.
Security of “Internet of Things”
We are beginning to see the
networked interconnection of everyday objects — often referred to as
the “Internet of Things,” with about 35 billion devices connected
today and a forecast for that number to grow to trillions in the
coming years. The growth will drive the need to secure the devices,
which includes medical gadgets such as pace makers and car devices
like the wireless tire pressure monitors on newer cars.
Open Source Hacking Tools
The availability of open source hacking
tools will continue to grow, opening the door for a new era of
hackers. Anyone with a modicum of computer skill and access to these
tools will be able to easily target websites to hack for monetary
gain.
Security For The Cloud, Security From The Cloud
As more companies
use the cloud for their core business, securing the cloud becomes
much more important. In 2011, we will see hackers exploiting the
cloud as they look for low hanging fruit that can lead them to
monetary gain. We will also see a major shift towards Web application
security delivery for all Web apps using the cloud.
PCI 2.0 and Web Security
The PCI DSS 2.0 regulations rolled out in
November will go into effect on January 1, and credit card companies
will be working with their customers to ensure they are in
compliance. As this happens, compliance will help to drive the
awareness and adoption of security measures to companies large and
small in an effort to protect Web sites and customers from hackers.
Wikileaks Publishes Corporate America’s Secrets
Wikileaks has
published confidential documents from Swiss and Icelandic banks, and
has threatened to publish data from other high profile companies. In
2011, we’ll see Wikileaks publish a marquee company’s innermost
secrets, including e-mails, documents, and records of major decisions
such as fighting legislation, foiling rivals, employee dismissals and
more. In 2011, potential leaks of unethical executive behavior and
bad business decisions just may be the “smoking gun” that pushes
senior executives to fund increased security across corporations.
Cyber Terrorism
2010 ushered in the discovery of Stuxnet, often
referred to as the most refined piece of malware ever discovered, a
clear indication that government sponsored cyber warfare has arrived.
In 2011, we will see the U.S. and other governments increase their
efforts to thwart cyber terrorists by picking up their offensive game
and putting the Web to use as a weapon. Much like pawns in a game of
chess, other nations will pickup their efforts leading to
increasingly sophisticated attacks from Russia, China, Israel and
Iran.
About Cenzic
Cenzic, a trusted provider of software and SaaS
security products, helps organizations secure their websites against
hacker attacks. Cenzic focuses on Web Application Security,
automating the process of identifying security defects at the Web
application level where more than 75 percent of hacker attacks occur.
Our dynamic, black box Web application testing is built on a
non-signature-based technology that finds more “real” vulnerabilities
as well as provides vulnerability management, risk management, and
compliance for regulations and industry standards such as PCI. Cenzic
solutions help secure the websites of numerous Fortune 1000
companies, all major security companies, leading government agencies
and universities, and hundreds of SMB companies — overall helping to
secure trillions of dollars of e-commerce transactions. The Cenzic
solution suite fits the needs of companies across all industries,
from a cloud solution (Cenzic ClickToSecure Cloud(TM)), to testing
remotely via our managed service (Cenzic ClickToSecure(R) Managed),
to a full enterprise software product (Cenzic Hailstorm(R) Enterprise
ARC(TM)) for managing security risks across the entire company.
Media Contact:
Dave Struzzi
Kulesa Faul
212-228-7972
dave@kulesafaul.com
SOURCE: Cenzic
mailto:dave@kulesafaul.com
