Junior cybercrooks joining cybercrime gangs, shifting to attacks on IoT, industrial setup

A number of "junior cybercriminals" are developing malware these days and joining cybercrime "gangs" that are now increasingly targeting IoT (Internet of Things) devices and industrial setup instead of the traditional computers and smartphones, a top cybersecurity executive said.

Kaspersky Chief Executive Officer Eugene Kaspersky noted that many businesses have been adversely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic but cybercrime - as a business - has accelerated.

"We see an increasing number of different kinds of cyber attacks, different kinds of malware developed, and unfortunately, we see also a growing number of professional cyber gangs. We see that junior cyber criminals are joining cyberspace," he said.

Kaspersky added that these youngsters generate a lot of malicious items but these are easy to handle and customers can be protected from these kinds of attacks.

"Unfortunately, they get more experience, they are joining professional cyber gangs, and they are shifting from the traditional computer and smartphones, they're shifting to IoT and industrial setup," he said.

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Kaspersky stated that there is a growing number of attempts to touch infrastructure, even though these are mostly not successful.

"I'm afraid this is the next step in a cyber war, to hack not just the traditional computer systems and smartphones, but also to get into the industrial systems, into infrastructure, including critical infrastructure. That's why cyber security is getting more and more important," he said.

Kaspersky highlighted that in April last year, criminal activity in the digital space rose 25 per cent.

The event also saw participation from University of New South Wales Canberra Professor and Head of the Programme on Cyber, Space and Future Conflict, International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) Greg Austin and others.

Austin pointed out that education on the subject of cybersecurity is critical.

He said while it is important to prepare to fight cyber crimes and malware development, it is also critical to understand that the world of cybercrime and security is evolving rapidly, and criminals are improving their methods of attacking.

The panel also noted that a collaborative effort involving all stakeholders in designing regulations around cybersecurity would be important.