Have you ever been hacked?

Cybercriminals are moving away from hacking into personal computers to attack personal mobile devices, says a new study of the top cyber threats for 2012. (Ryan Remiorz/Canadian Press)

Cybercriminals will move away from breaking into personal computers and increase their focus on mobile devices, according to a report on cyber security for 2012.

The year 2011 "saw great changes in mobile threats, hacktivism, client-side exploitation, social-media exploitation, and targeted attacks," wrote Vincent Weafer, senior vice president of Mcafee Labs, a subsidiary of Intel Corp. and maker of computer security software.

The 2012 Threat Predictions report (PDF link here) runs down several areas in which cyberattacks might become prevalent in the next year, or increase in activity compared to earlier years.

Some of the top cyber threats include attacks on mobile devices that may target mobile banking users and an increase in "legal" spam such as email lists that send advertisements at the user's consent.

The report paid special attention to so-called hacktivists after groups such as Anonymous and Lulzsec carried out politically minded attacks online throughout 2011.

"When hacktivists picked a target, that target was compromised either through a data breach or denial of service. They are a credible force," the report states.

Have you ever been the victim of an illegal hacking attack or security breach? What do you do to keep your personal information safe online? Share your stories and advice in the comments section below.


(This survey is not scientific. Results are based on readers' responses.)