New Threats to Cybersecurity in 2020

If you thought Hacking into your many personal or home techno products is going to be a problem that needs addressing, you-are-spot-on-correct. The threats are from a wide range of sources, from the real high tech hackers, to unguarded Medical Files, even to the kid next door. Hacking is not that difficult any longer, you can watch a YouTube to find out how its done, and with the new age of “Drones” it just became easier for anyone to do it.

How has it become so easier to invade your personal space? Its very simple, --its because all of us are quickly moving from a “small community-land-line” to a “nation” connected by a super-wide wireless communications system offering wide variations of wireless application. Video, face-to-face, voice, images, our mail, documents, dislikes and likes, transactions, even our dreams are now open to public hacking and manipulation. The outright “theft” of everything “you” is on!

Oh, the past is still the present. Ransomware, and Phishing will still be an issue. But we are recognizing how to identify and protect ourselves more along those avenues of attack. But, the Hackers are not sitting still. They are evolving at faster speeds all the time.

If Phishing won’t work on you, “Smishing” is coming your way. Look to your banking and investing partners, because Smishing will come through your “Cell-Phone” in the form of a Text from your bank. Its called an SMS communication and most of us use texting often during the day. Don’t answer it. And don’t give any information. If a link should accompany the text, don’t click it. If you can block it, do so. Call your bank and ask them if they had texted you. Odds are they did not.

Watch the Sky around you. Well, that is something all of us don’t do. But there are drones on the market you can get at most sports stores including Wal-Mart or Target, that can have ranges of over a mile in flight. And Hackers will hook up what is called a “Pineapple” device to “scan” the neighborhood, motels, gas stations, libraries, cybercafés, sports stations with Wifi and any other place with Wifi. If you use that free Wifi, --that drone and its pineapple scanner just might capture a transaction with all your information with it. Now that you know, when your shopping and you walk by those cool looking drones, you’ll never look upon them again like you used too.

Do you send out a video of yourself? Or your Kids? How about on Facebook? How about a Business Video of you discussing normal everyday business with an associate. Or a video chat. If its captured by hackers, you could see yourself on a public video or tweet, saying things you never said at all. Its called “deepfake technology”. It can ruin you or your company. Oh, they’ll let you see it. Then call for ransom money. You can call it “extorted character assassination”. For Corporations and Politicians at all levels, a deepfake incident could be catastrophic. It’s an all too real scenario with businesses and even schools paying off the hackers. But with the technology growing so fast, “deepfake technology” is expected to lower its sights on individuals in 2020.

Most of us really do buy a lot of products on the internet. Such as leather bomber jacket in the form of an A2 or a G1. Point of Sale hacks are always present searching for a “mobile purchase” from a Cell Phone or other mobile device. Or a point of sale platform plugged into a phone by a stadium vender, uber driver, mobile food truck, etc. Be careful out there.

Small business could also be a high target in 2020. Small businesses has less to spend on high tech security and employees are usually not properly trained. Are you into activism, wanting to give them some money? Activist groups or industries will be the cause of some major information breaches in 2020. Its unfortunate, but your idealism and “giving” might be a real identity theft pitfall for you this year.