InvestorsBusinessDaily. Computer attacks evolved i

InvestorsBusinessDaily. Computer attacks evolved in 2012 to target far more than Windows PCs, as risks rose from people using unmanaged mobile devices with their work networks, and as adoption of cloud computing changed cybersecurity needs.

http://news.investors.com/technology/122912-6...rc=HPLNews

Meanwhile, organized crime networks honed their skills and automated attack tools, raising the ante.

So what threats will 2013 bring?

Cybersecurity staff work in the "watch and warning center" at a government defense lab in Idaho, in 2011. AP

"It's going to be a nastier place," Kevin Haley, security response director for security software maker Symantec ( SYMC ), told IBD.

President Obama is expected to issue a long-awaited executive order, as legislation continues to be debated on Capitol Hill, aimed at better protecting U.S. critical infrastructure from cyberattacks. This could be out as soon as January .

Haley predicts a rise of "statement malware" and "ransomware" built to erase hard drives of targeted victims.

"It's not trying to steal information, not trying to do espionage per se — it's just trying to destroy something," he said.

Perpetrators might be people who have "some sort of grief with a company," Haley said. Some Middle Eastern firms have been hit with "statement malware," according to Symantec.

Meanwhile, security-compromised home computer users may see "ransomware" demanding that they pay a few hundred dollars to avoid erasure of their hard drives.

Symantec's 2013 security predictions include:

• 1. Cyberconflict becomes the norm (espionage and other attacks between nations, organizations and individuals).

• 2. Ransomware is the new scareware (scams and other attacks that lock computers and attempt to extort the owners).

• 3. Madware adds to the insanity (mobile adware that can compromise privacy and add unwanted features).

• 4. Monetization of social networks introduces new dangers (as more personal data get shared).

• 5. As users shift to mobile and the cloud, so will attackers (use of unmanaged mobile devices in the workplace raises risks).

As to point No. 4, Haley says social networks' efforts to monetize their platforms give cybercriminals new ways to set up attacks.

"Symantec anticipates an increase in malware attacks that steal payment credentials in social networks or trick users into providing payment details, and other personal and potentially valuable information, to fake social networks," Haley said in Symantec's blog. "This may include fake gift notifications and email messages requesting home addresses and other personal information."

Security company Sophos says about 80% of attacks this year have come from Web redirects, mostly from real websites that got hacked. Sophos predicts the security industry will see more malware slip through business security systems, due partly to wider availability of malware-testing platforms among attackers.