Given how bad things have been in the area of cyber-espionage and malware attacks, it is predicted to get even worse.

There was a surge in the past two years in the number of malware-based attacks that resulted in sensitive data being stolen from government agencies, defense contractors, Fortune 500 companies, human rights organizations and other institutions. (See also “How to Remove Malware From Your Windows PC.”).

Rik Ferguson, director of security research and communication at security firm Trend Micro says, “I absolutely expect this trend to continue through 2012 and beyond.” ”Espionage activities have, for hundreds of years, taken advantage of cutting-edge technologies to carry out covert operations; 2011 was not the beginning of Internet-facilitated espionage, nor will it be the end,” he added.

Threats like Stuxnet, which is credited with setting back Iran’s nuclear program by several years, or its successor, Duqu, have shocked the security industry with their level of sophistication. For those of you who may recall, Stuxnet was a computer worm designed to target Iran’s nuclear program. Duqu is believed to be closely related to the Stuxnet industrial sabotage worm - it borrows the same code and functionality. Duqu is a flexible malware delivery framework used for data exfiltration. Experts believe that they are only the beginning and that more highly advanced malware will be launched in 2012.

I sure hope the security industry, businesses, etc., are ready to adequately deal with these attacks.

For those looking to keep their personal or small business computers safe, MSI Detective Services performs computer forensic data recovery services. The U-Spy Store staff can also assist you with the detection and removal of spyware and malware. We also carry monitoring and tracking software for computers. I have one of these programs on my computers as it helps me track the activities of my computer.

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