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Cybersecurity experts at Kaspersky have predicted another bout of WannaCry attack and hackers deploying drones for hacking, breaking into Wi-Fi networks in 2023.
They also predicted attacks on satellite technologies and mail servers in the New Year.
Kaspersky said the 2023 forecast is based on the information that its Global Research and Analysis Team (GReAT) gathered this year, while tracking more than 900 advanced persistent threat (APT) groups and campaigns.
Key trends
The report said some of the largest and most impactful cyber epidemics occur every six to seven years.
The last such incident was the infamous WannaCry ransomware-worm, which shook the world by encrypting thousands of computers across the world.
The researchers said the likelihood of the next WannaCry happening in 2023 is high. “One potential reason of an event like this occurring is that the most sophisticated threat actors in the world are likely to possess at least one suitable exploit. The current global tensions greatly increase the chance a ShadowBrokers-style hack-and-leak could take place,” they said.
Drones for hacking
The year could also see more sophisticated attacks where hackers could mix physical and cyber intrusions, employing drones for proximity hacking.
“Some of the possible attack scenarios include mounting drones with sufficient tooling that allows them to steal into WiFi passwords. They might even try dropping malicious USB keys in restricted areas in a hope that a passer-by would pick them up and plug them into a machine,” they said.
The experts said that the attacks on the government sector and key industries could go up. High-profile cyber-attacks against the civilian infrastructure, such as energy grids or public broadcasting, may also become targets, as well as underwater cables and fiber distribution hubs, which are challenging to defend.
Attacks on satellite tech
The Moscow-based company predict that APT threat actors will increasingly turn their attention to the manipulation of, and interference with satellite technologies in the future.
“A portion of our predictions focus on how this instability will translate into nefarious cyber activities, while others reflect our vision of which new attack vectors will be explored by attackers,” Ivan Kwiatkowski, senior security researcher at Kaspersky, said.
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