2014 set to be riskiest year yet for IT security

Trend Micro claims some 500 billion data records could be exposed next year and insists the stakes have never been higher

Next year will be the most dangerous yet for IT security, according to Trend Micro, which predicts that some 500 billion data records could be exposed following future high-profile security breaches.

In its Blurring Predictions: Security Predictions for 2014 and Beyond report, the security vendor claims that despite the soaring number of high-profile security breaches this year, next year will see the situation get worse. It predicts there will be one major data breach each month next year.

It cites a recent Abode breach which saw 150 million accounts compromised and a similar situation at Evernote which saw 50 million users asked to reset their login details following getting hacked as key events this year, but said the magnitude of such incidents might be dwarfed in scale next year.

"In 2014, we could easily see 500 billion data records exposed," the vendor said. "The stakes have never been higher... No organisation will be safe from data breaches."

Last month, the vendor joined a chorus of channel companies denouncing the soon-to-be-axed Windows XP opearting system. In its most recent report it reiterated the threat the ageing OS poses to companies.

"Data suggests that around 20 per cent of PC users still run Windows XP," it said. "While the number may not be as big as the Windows 7 base, they still represent a good number of potential victims.

"Expect a pickup in attacks, zero-days, and exploit integration into known kits, among other things. This is alarming given that computers running the OS are six times more likely to be infected compared with other Windows versions."