5 security threats to watch in 2010

At a media briefing Wednesday, the security vendor released a report outlining security threats enterprises and consumers should be mindful of in 2010. Of these, the security risk faced by everyday Internet users is likely to increase as criminals look to trick people into downloading malware through means such as an innocent-looking URL link or videos and pictures from unknown sources.

"[Users] could be opening themselves up to identity theft and other types of cybercrime," Symantec said in the report, adding that the number of attempted attacks using social engineering "is sure to increase" next year.

Also, as the popularity of Apple products continue to grow, Mac and iPhone users--two of the most popular products by Apple--should look to protect the content they place on their devices as "more attackers will devote time to create malware to exploit these devices", according to the report. With the increased use of smartphones, mobile security will also be an area of concern, added Symantec.

For more on social networking, shortened urls and scareware, read "5 security threats to watch in 2010" on ZDNet Asia.