VietNamNet Bridge – DDoS (distributed denial-of-service) attacks, which paralyzed many information portals, online newspapers and government agencies’ websites in 2014, will continue to be the biggest threat in 2015.

Malware on mobile devices

BKAV, the largest Vietnamese internet security firm, has predicted that mobile malware will continue attacking a high number of users in 2015, especially when they can be easily exploited as there is a fine line between harmless and harmful software apps.

The year will also see many campaigns of malicious links spread among social networks.

Analysts noted that users need to be vigilant, but also should install anti-virus software apps to protect their mobile phones, similar to anti-virus apps that protect computers.

The “Internet of Things” boom

In late 2014, the international mass media reported that 73,000 IP cameras, including 1,000 in Vietnam, were likely to be put on watch by hackers.

The information serves as a strong warning in the “internet of things” boom, slated to occur in 2015. Analysts say it is obvious that attacking the “internet of things” will be a growing tendency in 2015.

DDoS to continue in 2015

DDoS attacks created problems for network administrators in 2014. BKAV said many government agencies and businesses, which saw their systems paralyzed due to DDoS attacks, asked the data security company for help in 2014.

Experts say though DDoS hackers cannot penetrate targeted systems and cannot steal information, they can paralyze the victims’ systems. Therefore, they believe DDoS will still be the favorite mode of attack to be used by hackers in 2015.

Nhip Song So cited a report released at the 2014 Information Security Day, an important event held in HCM City in November 2014, as saying that 275,816 cyberattacks were discovered during the year, a 300 percent increase over 2013.

China had the highest number of IPs (65,000) attacking Vietnamese networks. On May 8-11, more than 220 Vietnamese websites were attacked by those that introduced themselves as “Chinese hackers”.

More than 2.5 million attack behaviors on HCM city authorities’ information portals were reportedly at  a “high level”.

At least 396 incidents were related to server infrastructure, workstations and network equipment in the city. Only two percent of the incidents were “serious”.

In June 2014, ESET, a security firm, discovered a cyberattack targeting the Ministry of Natural Resources and the Environment’s computer system under the mode of spear-phishing.

A dangerous attack was deployed in October and November on a data center under management of VC Corp, which then paralyzed several websites and online newspapers.

CV