Android and Java vulnerabilities to be main targets for cyber criminals in 2014

Panda Security believes hacks will reach record levels next year

Malware creation will reach a record high in 2014 and Android devices will be the most vulnerable to potential threats.

That's according to cloud security company Panda Security, which predicts Java exploits and social media attacks will pose most damaging cyber security threats in the coming months.

Writing in a blog post, PandaLabs Technical Director Luis Corrons argued that Java will continue to be a favoured target for cyber criminals due to its inherent insecurity.

"Security holes in Java have been responsible for most infections detected throughout 2013, and this is not likely to change during 2014," he said.

"The fact that Java is installed on billions of computers and is apparently affected by countless security flaws has made it a favorite target of cyber-criminals. There is no exploit kit on the market worthy of that name that doesn't exploit a set of Java vulnerabilities."

However, Corrons believes cyber security solutions will evolve to combat new threats.

"As corporate security attacks become increasingly aggressive, traditional perimeter solutions, though necessary, are no longer sufficient in certain scenarios. New solutions will be available to meet these needs and ensure data security and integrity much more effectively," he said.

While Android smartphones and tablets will continue to be the number one target for cyber criminals, Panda Security warns that "there will be a significant increase in the number of cyber-attacks on all types of devices".

Devices including televisions will also be subject to attack as the internet of things connects more devices to the world wide web.

"IP cameras, TVs, multimedia players are now an integral part of the internet, and often share a characteristic that sets them apart from other devices such as laptops, smartphones or tablets," said Corrons.

"Users rarely update them. As a result, they are extremely vulnerable to security flaw exploits, and so we are likely to see attacks that target these devices as well," he added.