In 2016, malware on mobiles will increase, especially for Android, which is the most popular operating system on the market.
This is according to Panda Security in its predictions for 2016. The company notes attacks on Android and large-scale infections are among the main security threats this year.
As of Q3 2015, Gartner says Android had 84.7% of the smartphone market share, followed by iOS (13.1%), Windows (1.7%), BlackBerry (0.3%) and others (0.3%).
"Although Android attacks have been commonplace in recent years, the difference in 2016 is the manner in which mobiles will be infected," says Jeremy Matthews, country manager of Panda Security Africa.
"We will see more threats that root the device, which makes eliminating them a serious challenge for an anti-virus, with the exception of those that come installed from the factory," he adds.
The security solutions vendor also believes this year, payment platforms on mobile devices will be under scrutiny as cyber criminals look to take advantage of them, as they could be an easy way for criminals to steal money directly.
"If any of the platforms becomes more popular compared to the others, it will be the first one to be looked at by the attackers as they search for weaknesses in its system," Matthews says.
Panda also notes the coming year will be filled with threats that could affect private users, small businesses, and large corporations.
The creation and spreading of new malware samples, aimed at infecting users, will continue growing at an exponential rate, just as in 2015, when the number of new samples registered daily reached 230 000, the security solutions vendor points out.
During 2016, it adds, there is a predicted increase in infections via JavaScript and a growth in the number of cyber criminals using Powershell, a tool included in Windows 10 that allows scripts with all types of functionalities to be executed, which could be used to attack users.
Cyber criminals are looking for ways to attack the greatest number of users and businesses, while achieving the greatest possible profit, Matthews explains.
For this reason, he says, they will continue to use tools such as exploit kits, as many current solutions are not capable of combatting this type of attack effectively, which means its rate of infection is very high.
Panda also believes there will be an increase in direct attacks through rootkit techniques, which allow the hackers to hide themselves from the operating system and security solutions.
It also notes 2016 will be the year in which the Internet of things will flourish, with more devices than ever connected to the Internet, a feature that enables cyber criminals to access and take control of such devices.
With this in mind, cyber criminals are predicted to carry out attacks on devices with software that is connected to the Internet.
In the face of the current environment, where the number of threats is growing exponentially and attacks are becoming more sophisticated, Panda urges users and businesses to adopt extra security measures to remain protected against the dangers of the Internet in 2016.
"What's more, for businesses there are also threats that could seriously damage both their reputation and finances. Cyber criminals will make it their goal to steal confidential information relating to the company and even information belonging to their customers," says Matthews.
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