Cybercriminals shifting focus from PCs to mobiles

Stuart Corner
Monday, 24 January 2011 07:46

Business IT - Security

Cisco has released its annual security report saying it shows "a major cybercrime turning point" in that cybercriminals have begun shifting focus from Windows PCs to smartphones, tablets and mobile platforms in general.

The report says this shift in focus is the result of three factors: significant improvements in security in the Windows environment: weak security in mobile devices and the rapid proliferation of mobile devices. However the hugely popular practice of downloading apps, from legitimate app stores is giving cybercriminals a whole new avenue to penetrate target devices.

"Third-party mobile apps are emerging as a serious threat vector. And right now, that market is like the Wild West," warns Horacio Zambrano, product line manager for Cisco. "No one is looking at these apps and determining what is a 'good app' or a 'bad app'."

The report says: "In response to the last decade of cyber-exploits targeting PC operating systems, PC platform and application vendors have shored up security in their products and taken a more aggressive approach to patching vulnerabilities. As a result, scammers are finding it harder to exploit platforms that were once their bread and butter and are looking elsewhere to make money. Just as important in driving this trend is the widespread adoption of mobile devices and applications. Third-party mobile applications in particular are emerging as a serious threat vector."

It warns also that the situation is likely to get worse before it gets better. "Cybercriminals are still very much in the research and development phase with their methods of snaring victims using mobile devices. Over the past two years, there have been a number of phishing scams, mostly regional in focus, targeting individuals or select groups'”such as customers of local banks or credit unions."

And, while mobile operating systems are being beefed up, the legitimisation of jail breaking is leading to a huge upsurge in the practice, which significantly compromises the platform's inbuilt security.

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