McAfee Predicts 2011 Security Threats to Apple, Social Media, and Mobile Devices

As 2010 draws to a close, McAfee has released a2011 Threat Predictions Report, a document that outlines security threats that McAfee Labs thinks IT admins should keep a watchful eye on for the coming year.

In a statement released to the press, McAfee Labs Vice President Vincent Weafer pointed to mobile devices and social media networks as potentially being the most vulnerable to security risks.

"We've seen significant advancements in device and social network adoption, placing a bulls-eye on the platforms and services users are embracing the most," said Weafer. "These platforms and services have become very popular in a short amount of time, and we're already seeing a significant increase in vulnerabilities, attacks and data loss."

The McAfee report also singles out Apple for special notice, stating that Apple computers and iOS-powered devices like the iPhone and iPad are likely to be targets for hackers in 2011, primarily due to the surging popularity and adoption of Apple devices among consumers and enterprises alike. Here's a relevant excerpt from the report that points out Apple security risks:

"Historically, the Mac OS platform has remained relatively unscathed by malicious attackers, but McAfee Labs warns that Mac-targeted malware will continue to increase in sophistication in 2011. The popularity of iPads and iPhones in business environments, combined with the lack of user understanding of proper security for these devices, will increase the risk for data and identity exposure, and will make Apple botnets and Trojans a common occurrence."

The McAfee report is available in two forms: A McAfee news release lists the highlights of the report, while the full security report is also available for download as a PDF file.

Have any 2011 security predictions of your own to make? Add a comment to this blog post, or send a message to me on Twitter @jeffjames3.

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