Snowden, espionage shape security landscape in '13

Edward Snowden’s revelations, cyber espionage and the rise of ransomware were among the key trends shaping the cybersecurity landscape in 2013, according to Kaspersky Lab.

One of the first visible effects of the well-publicised disclosures of eavesdropping by the US NSA and other security agencies has been the shutdown of encrypted email services including Lavabit and Silent Circle.

Kaspersky Labs has blamed the shutdowns on the providers’ ability to continue offering the services due to pressure from law enforcement and intelligence agencies.

Cyber-espionage campaigns also dominated the security landscape - Kaspersky estimates that up to 1800 organisations were victims during 2013.

The majority of campaigns were designed to steal data from government agencies and research institutions, including the widespread NetTraveler campaign which targeted victims from 40 countries.

This year also marked the first time cybercriminals involved in these campaigns harvested information from mobile devices connected to their victims’ networks.

Costin Raiu, director of Kaspersky Lab’s Global Research and Analysis team, commented that these campaigns “were part of an emerging trend that appeared in 2013 - attacks by small groups of cyber-mercenaries who conduct small hit-and-run attacks”.

He predicted that more mercenary groups will emerge going forward, stimulating an underground market for cyber-espionage services.

In 2013 the use of ransomware has become a popular method for cybercriminals to make easy money. One example is the Cryptolocker trojan, which encrypts a computer’s files using RSA-2048 and gives victims three days to pay a ransom before the key is automatically deleted.

Image courtesy of David Orban under CC