[intro]Trend Micro Predictions[/intro]

1. Mobile banking will suffer from more MitM attacks; basic two-step verification will no longer be sufficient.
2. Cybercriminals will increasingly use targeted-attack-type methodologies like open source research and highly customized spear phishing, along with multiple exploits.
3. In the context of targeted attacks, we will see more clickjacking and watering hole attacks, new exploits of choice, and attacks via mobile devices.
4. We will see one major data breach incident a month.
5. Attacks leveraging vulnerabilities in widely used but unsupported software like Java 6 and Windows XP will intensify.
6. The Deep Web will significantly challenge law enforcement, as the latter struggles to build capacity in order to address cybercrime on a large scale.
7. Public distrust will ensue, especially after the exposure of state-sponsored monitoring activities, resulting in a period of disparate efforts to restore privacy.
8. We will not yet see large-scale, widespread IoE threats. This requires a “killer app,” which may appear in the area of AR in the form of technology like heads-up displays.

Last September, Trend Micro partnered with Europol and the International Cyber Security Protection Alliance (ICSPA) to release “2020: The Series” and its accompanying paper, which show how technology could be used and subverted in the future. If you read the paper or watched the episodes, you’ll see how 2020 could usher in the integration of many interesting technologies with each individual, organization, and even a nation’s existence.

By then, most people would use heads-up display (HUD) glasses and maybe even contact lenses that respond to hand gestures every day. Each netizen will enjoy highly personalized online content, thanks to continuous data monitoring and gathering through sensors or implants. Smart grids will run basic services and aid technology-assisted living; fully automated government elections will become a reality. Conversely, new threats and cybercrime types will emerge; some can even destroy critical infrastructure and cause physical injury.

In the “2020: The Series” episodes, we tried to visualize what will likely come true and came up with a lot of scenarios that you may not immediately see.

Guess why the cybercriminals wore HUD contact lenses while the law enforcers wore HUD glasses. Because the contact lenses are powered by a biochemical reaction and you need a new pair every day. That can be expensive! How did the police get video evidence out of one of the main character’s bedroom? I just presented on smart TV hacking at the RSA Conference in Europe, that should give you an idea. You can also watch “2020: The Series”, which has references to “Blade Runner,” one of my favorite movies of all time, to find out.