WatchGuard has revealed its annual security predictions for 2013, forecasting cyber attacks to result in human death, android pick-pocketing attempts and a rise in browser-infecting malware.

The manageable business security solutions provider says the list reveals an uptick in emerging cyber threats and an increased focus by governments to fight back through legislation.

“2012 was an eye-opening year in cyber security as we saw the number of new and more sophisticated vulnerabilities rise, impacting individuals, businesses and governments,” says Corey Nachreiner, WatchGuard director of security strategy.

“This is a year where the security stakes reach new heights, attacks become more frequent and unfortunately more damaging as many organisations suffer attacks before taking measures to protect themselves from the bad guys.”

WatchGuard’s 2013 security predictions:

Cyber attacks result in human death:

WatchGuard hopes it is wrong in this prediction. But with more computing devices embedded in cars, phones, TVs and even medical devices, digitally dealt death is not only possible, it’s plausible.

Security is still often an afterthought when developing innovative technical systems.

Criminals, hacktivists, and even nation-states are launching increasingly targeted cyber-attacks, resulting in the destruction of physical equipment.

Most recently, a researcher even showed how to wirelessly deliver an 830 volt shock to an insecure pacemaker, proving that digital attacks can have a real-world impact.

Android pick pockets:

Based on the following three factors, WatchGuard expects to see at least one vulnerability, even if just a proof-of-concept, that allows attackers to steal money from Android devices.

Mobile malware is skyrocketing:

Cyber criminals are targeting Android devices more than any other because of the platform’s openness. People are increasingly using mobile devices for online payments.

Plus, many vendors, including Google, are starting to launch Mobile Wallets, which attaches credit cards to mobile devices.

Malware enters the matrix through virtual door:

Last year was the first real-world instance of malware that sought out virtual machines (VMs) and infected them directly.

Today, there is an emergence of malicious code that can recognise when it’s running in a virtual system and can act accordingly.

In 2013, WatchGuard predicts attackers will create even more VM-targeted malware. It will be designed to take advantage of weaknesses found in many virtual environments, while attempting to avoid virtualised automatic threat detection systems.

Malware chases browser not system:

WatchGuard anticipates a steep rise in browser-infecting malware in 2013. With increased adoption of cloud services like online banking, a great deal of personal and sensitive data passes through web browsers.

Many antivirus solutions are focused on catching traditional malware which infects an operating system and aren’t as effective at detecting browser-based infections.

Now, a new type of malware has emerged. Sometimes called a Man-in-the-Browser (MitB) or browser zombie, it arrives as a malicious browser extension, plugin, helper object, or piece of JavaScript.

It doesn’t infect the whole system; instead it takes complete control of a browser and runs whenever the victim surfs the web.