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SANS Top 10: Laptop encryption, targeted attacks to become more common

Laptop encryption will be made mandatory at a number of government agencies and private organizations, predicts the latest installment of the SANS Institute's Top 10.

Scared by laptop and mobile device breaches going public, corporate executives will demand that encryption devices are preinstalled on new equipment, the study forecasts in its No. 1 prediction.

Targeted attacks - especially on government agencies - will also become more prevalent, according to the list, which is prepared by SANS officials and outside security professionals. Terrorist attacks and non-friendly nations will target government agencies through targeted attacks - as well as the data in the hands of private contractors.

The report also claims that cell phone worms will infect at least 100,000 phones via wireless data networks, and that voice over IP (VoIP) systems will be the targets of cyberattacks because VoIP technology was developed without a full understanding of the security implications.

Among the other predictions:

  • Congress and state governments will pass legislation to better protect customer information;
  • Spyware will continue to be a major IT security issue;
  • Zero-day flaws will result in major malware outbreaks;
  • Most new bots will be bundled with rootkits;
  • Network access control will become more common and more complex;
  • Theft of PDA smart phones will grow considerably.

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