Apple, Google TV, Foursquare to face cyber threat in 2011: McAfee

By SiliconIndia

New Year is not having good news for mobile devices including Apple products, Google TV, geo-location services such as Foursquare and Gowalla, and other social media sites as McAfee Labs researchers predict an impending attack from cyber criminals which will be far more advanced than the traditional
e-mail methods reports ABCNews.in.

Though the threat platform has not changed significantly, the criminals will harness the platforms of geo-location service providers, social networking sites and mobile devices effectively and continue the rate at which they sophisticate malware. Researchers feel that malicious apps and Botnets will cater to the needs of cyber criminals to get what they aim. While the malicious apps will depict privacy data over platform, the Botnets will probably manipulate physical devices using compromised apps, controlling the devices. The report from McAfee Labs researchers rendered an austere image for Apple products which had not been under malware threat recently but parts a genuine warning to the firm on the same.

The popularity of these products, especially in the business environment, along with the "lack of user understanding" about securing them, will make "Apple botnets and Trojans" a "common occurrence" rather than a "rare encounter," predicted the researchers. Researchers predicted that Cyber criminals will exploit the transmission of user's location over internet by geo-location service providers such as Foursquare, Gowalla, and Facebook.

It is reported that during Christmas time, Facebook blocked all the j.mp shortened links as more than 70 percent of them turn out of either spam or malicious sites.