Worries for 2008

What new worries should you put on your calendar for 2008? Symantec offers their Top 5 Security-Menace Predictions for next year. I'll add another.

Botnet operators have more zombie PCs to control, and public Web site hacking seems to be all the rage lately. I don't believe the few hackers and spam monsters going to jail will make a dent in the flood of greedy, venal hackers trying to steal money electronically.

One area I would add to this list is executive spear fishing. Some hackers, taking information publicly available about executives, tailor phishing attacks specifically for those individuals. While I believe the average small business owner has more street smarts than many corporate vice presidents, those running small businesses tend to be pulled and interrupted so often mistakes happen.

Don't let your company, and you personally, fall for any of the big security traps for 2008. I know you get too much e-mail to read each one carefully at times, but don't act on any e-mail until you do have time to think. The money you save will be your own.