{"id":53045,"date":"2016-10-04T05:00:19","date_gmt":"2016-10-04T12:00:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.mcafee.com\/?p=53045"},"modified":"2025-08-19T09:35:19","modified_gmt":"2025-08-19T16:35:19","slug":"sep-2016-threats-report-takeaways","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/internet-security\/sep-2016-threats-report-takeaways\/","title":{"rendered":"The Old, The New, and The Future: McAfee Labs September Threats Report"},"content":{"rendered":"

As technology makes our lives increasingly convenient, we rely on it more. We use it constantly nowadays, even entrusting our personal information to apps and services. But cybercriminals know that\u2014in fact, they count on it. The McAfee Labs Threats Report, September 2016<\/a>, reveals that crooks are getting personal, targeting individuals\u2019 data more than ever. It\u2019s gotten easier for them to nab this information, and the report even states \u201cpersonal information about customers or employees now makes up the majority of breaches reported, with payment info a distant third.\u201d<\/p>\n

But why is that happening? Shouldn\u2019t advances in technology make us safer? Truth be told, while it can, new vehicles for sharing personal data can also be treasure coves for criminals.<\/p>\n

We\u2019re in an age where mobile phones, cloud sharing platforms, and social media are the norm. That\u2019s largely the reason why personal data has become such a big target<\/a>. But it\u2019s important to remember that, as much as new technology invites threats, so does older technology. It\u2019s all about ease of access: when attackers see a cybersecurity system (old or new) with loopholes, they\u2019re enticed.<\/p>\n

One of the latest cybercriminal ventures? Believe it or not, it\u2019s medical data. Hospital software and technology is more outdated than you think. But cybercriminals dig even deeper than consumers, and they\u2019ve taken advantage of weaknesses, especially in the past year. This year, hospitals have grown to be a massive target for ransomware, with one cybercriminal even gaining $121 million dollars from a handful of campaigns against hospitals.<\/p>\n

This increase in ransomware attacks on the healthcare industry isn\u2019t random. It\u2019s due to dated infrastructures that are required to be operational at all times. These systems struggle to integrate new cybersecurity technology with antiquated systems\u2014they\u2019re sitting ducks.<\/p>\n

While hospitals contain reservoirs of personalized data, many thieves also going straight to consumers. Age isn\u2019t the only factor; new technologies are also being exploited. Take our use of social media as an example. It provides thieves with a new source for directing and enhancing phishing attacks. Other new platforms, such as cloud technologies, are also harder to protect using old methods. With more of people\u2019s time spent on mobile, crooks are capitalizing there as well. In the second quarter of this 2016 alone, the number of new mobile malware came in as the highest ever recorded at 2,000,000 samples.<\/p>\n

The moral of the story is this: personal data is being hunted. Crooks are finding security gaps, in both new and old technologies, to extract the most private of information.<\/p>\n

But luckily, there\u2019s a silver lining\u2014IT security is also thinking ahead. The industry is constantly looking into new, inventive ways to keep people safe. As the latest McAfee Labs Threat Report has indicated, the amount of devices connected to the internet and the volume of data increases every year. That allows analytics to slowly become the primary approach to disrupt incoming attacks. From data science to machine learning, we can expect more improved state-of-the-art security solutions day by day.<\/p>\n

In fact, we\u2019ve already started. With the release of the McAfee Next Generation Anti-Malware Engine, the centerpiece in our new consumer security lineup, we\u2019re using behavioral analytics and machine learning to better detect threats. This new solution, along with our other product updates, ensures that your mobile, cloud-connected, and wearable technology devices stay secure.<\/p>\n

Tips to Protect Your Personal Data<\/h2>\n

Meanwhile, to better safeguard your personal data, here are a few tips to protect yourself:<\/p>\n