McAfee Labs' 2010 Threat Predictions report said that hackers will increase their efforts to launch malware attacks through social networking websites and third-party applications over the next year.
The organisation suggested that cybercriminals are hoping to spread malware such as trojans and botnets by exploiting the tendency of users to trust links which have come from their online friends.
In addition, the group claimed that the abbreviated URLs which are commonly used by platforms such as Twitter make it easier for malicious websites to be disguised.
Jeff Green, senior vice president of McAfee Labs, said: 'We're now facing emerging threats from the explosive growth of social networking sites, the exploitation of popular applications and more advanced techniques used by cybercriminals.'
Recently, the malware and spam survey by BitDefender claimed that hackers are basing malware on international news events to increase the number of computers infected.
The organisation suggested that cybercriminals are hoping to spread malware such as trojans and botnets by exploiting the tendency of users to trust links which have come from their online friends.
In addition, the group claimed that the abbreviated URLs which are commonly used by platforms such as Twitter make it easier for malicious websites to be disguised.
Jeff Green, senior vice president of McAfee Labs, said: 'We're now facing emerging threats from the explosive growth of social networking sites, the exploitation of popular applications and more advanced techniques used by cybercriminals.'
Recently, the malware and spam survey by BitDefender claimed that hackers are basing malware on international news events to increase the number of computers infected.
