Hackers are always looking for new ways to break past your defenses, and the minute you've got one attack vector covered they've moved on to the next. Computerworld's John Brandon reports on six of the latest exploits you should know about and how to avoid them.

Text-messaging attacks that dupe users into opening attachments containing phony links to malware from their smartphones are becoming more popular, security experts say. The malware can gain network access privileges and send messages to contacts. Business users are far from immune from these tactics, and companies should consider limiting the people whom employees are allowed to text.

Social network account spoofing is also on the rise. Scam artists pose as co-workers or friends on Facebook or LinkedIn to trick users into giving up personal information, and then use it to access other accounts. In one scenario, they pretend to be a friend of a co-worker and contact users via email or text messaging. Users who click to reply to the message are brought to a phony LinkedIn site. When they try to log in, they give away their username and password.

Cyber-stalking, or cyber-harassment, is another growing problem in the workplace, experts warn. When it involves employees only, it is a big HR problem, but when it involves stalkers external to the company, it could mean someone is trying to steal confidential data. To reduce this risk, social media policies should clearly define the type of information employees are allowed to discuss on public sites.

Two other emerging threats include hackers gaining remote control of Wi-Fi-enabled automobiles and interfering with GPS signals. Jamming GPS signals could pose a particularly high threat to the banking industry because banks use GPS devices to put a timestamp on financial activities, Brandon reports. Spoofing GPS signals--sending false location data--has the potential to present a serious danger to delivery trucks and emergency vehicles.

For more:
- see John Brandon's article at Computerworld

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