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'Smishing' Tops List of Data Breach Trends for 2020

Recently coined words from “smishing” to “deepfake” and even “hacktivism” may be increasingly on the lips of information security pros next year.

The first term refers to text-based phishing, which leads the list of five data breach trends for 2020 in a new report by consumer credit reporting company Experian. Hackers will use SMS text messages disguised to look like political fundraising messages as a means of identity theft, Experian warns. These cyber attacks will particularly target people participating in online communities, where their barriers to trust may be lowered because they think they are communicating with like-minded people, according to the report.

Next on Experian’s list is the threat of a “hacker in the sky” attack involving drones. According to the report, hackers will send drones to swipe data from free public wi-fi systems, as both drones and such networks become increasingly available. With a device costing less than $100, Experian says, “a cybercriminal can easily steal sensitive data, like passwords to an online bank account, from nearby users connected to unsecured Wi-Fi networks, such as at a conference or a coffee shop.”

Then there are so-called deepfakes, where audio and video technology is used to make people do or say things they have not actually done. According to Experian, hackers will use deepfake tech “to disrupt the operations of large commercial enterprises, and potentially create geopolitical confusion among nation states, in addition to disruption in financial markets.”

“Hacktivism,” or online activism via cyber attack, also earns a spot in the report. Experian predicts that cybercriminals will take aim at hot industries, such as cannabis and cryptocurrency, as well as environmental organizations.

Finally, Experian warns that hackers next year will exploit insecure mobile payment systems to snatch personal data. “Mobile payments are here to stay, but in a rush to adopt these new payment platforms retailers need to be careful that they don’t take one step forward and two steps back when it comes to security, and consumers need to be vigilant, too,” the report notes. “The convenience of mobile payments may be an effective lure for both retailers and consumers, but both need to be careful they don’t end up on the hook of a cybercriminal."

The cost of data breaches keeps rising, from $3.54 million in 2006 to $8.19 million this year in the United States alone, according to research by the Ponemon Institute.

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