Internet security solutions firm Kaspersky has forecast cyber espionage — carried out through targeted attacks — will become more sophisticated next year.

“Many attacks start by hacking the human — that is by tricking employees into disclosing information that can be used to gain access to corporate resources. The staff with public-facing roles such as sales can be particularly vulnerable. We can expect the growth of cyber-espionage in 2013,” the firm said in its predictions for 2012 .

All organisations hold data that is of value to cyber criminals, as they can sell that data or use it as a ‘stepping-stone’ to target other companies.

Kaspersky also predicts an increase in ‘hacktivism’ — using which political activists score a point or two over organisations or countries.

On State-sponsored cyber attacks, Kaspersky says more countries will develop cyber weapons designed to steal information or sabotage systems. “It’s also possible that we may see ‘copy-cat’ attacks by non-nation-states, with an increased risk of collateral damage beyond the intended victim of the attack. The targets for such cyber-attacks could include energy supply and transportation control facilities, financial and telecommunications systems,” it points out.

There will also be increase in the use of legal surveillance tools. The use of legal surveillance tools has wider implications for privacy and civil liberties. And as law enforcement agencies, and Governments, try to get one step ahead of the criminals, it’s likely that the use of such tools, and the debate surrounding their use, will continue.

>kurmanath.kanchi@thehindu.co.in