Question

What do you believe is the current immediate threat in malware? and What do you believe will be the most threatening malware or attack-vector in the next few years?

Answer 1

1st part

Malware is a type of software which is created with an intention to damage computer systems. Malware is, thus, a malicious software. The variants of malware may include viruses, spyware, ransomware, etc.. If we talk about the current threats in malware, there are many of them. Different organizations have come up with their own list of most threatening malware. One of them is Emotet. This is a type of trojan that acts as a downloader or generator of other malware. It can enter a system via email attachments or other such kinds of channels. Once in, they start to multiply fast. They start writing to drives. One of the features of this malware which is most dangerous is that once it gets hold of your system, it may start infecting your contacts by trying out various means like social engineering, etc.

2nd part

One of the most threatening malware attacks in the future may be related to attacks on IoT networks using Artificial Intelligence (AI). While AI has been widely used to combat various kinds of cyberattacks, it's capabilities can also be used to attack computer systems. With the popularity of IoT increasing day by day, and its wide use in various sectors which include homes, industries, hospitals and many other things, attackers are looking at it like a profitable thing to attack. The capabilities of AI systems can be unlimited and that can be used to make the machine continuously learn about the security measures and its loopholes leading to a successful hack of any kind of network. If such attacks are successful, it can lead to huge loss of life and property. It can also be used in warfares.Furthermore, IoT devices have low storage capacities due to which they are unable to store enough security resources. This may be appealing to the attackers.