During 2018, a total of  34% of U.S. consumers experienced a compromise of their personal data.

2,216 data breaches and more than 53,000 cyber security incidents were reported from March 2017 to March 2018.

And these numbers will continue to rise. New cyber threats will continually emerge as technology and infrastructure evolve. Being informed is one of the first steps that you can take to protect yourself.

Read on to learn about 5 cyber security threats you can expect in 2019.

1. Malicious Chatbots

One of the trending cyber security topics right now is about threats involving chatbots.

This year, we can expect cybercriminals to create rogue chatbots to get people to click links, share their personal information or download malware.

Hackers are starting to turn their attention towards hijacking existing chatbots. As a result, unsuspecting web users could be sent to malicious links instead of the correct ones. Worse still, hackers will be able to use flaws in web applications to place bad chatbots on sites that don’t have one.

2. Attacks on Known Vulnerabilities

Experts predict that in 2019 and beyond, most of the exploited vulnerabilities will be ones that had been identified and disclosed but not fixed for over a year.

That means that fixing vulnerabilities in your applications will need to be vitally important. Especially ones that jeopardize sensitive data. Otherwise, your organization will be exposed to damaging attacks.

3. Cryptocurrency Attacks will Continue to Rise

In 2018, millions of people lost cryptocurrencies. The trend will continue this year as hackers use IoT devices to mine cryptocurrencies.

The infrastructure for large-scale digital coin scams and theft is already in place.

People that own crypto coins will need to be mindful of security measures such as antivirus software, two-factor authentification and up-to-date software.

4. Stealing Data When in Transit

With an increase of IoT hubs, we can expect to see new cyber threats as a result.

Cybercriminals in 2019 will try to collect data such as credit card numbers from home routers and other IoT hubs.

eCommerce merchants don’t store the CVV digits of a credit card to make it difficult for attackers to steal consumer credit card information. That is why trying to get data while it is in transit is their newest mode of attack.

With more access points in the home, people need to be increasingly on guard.

5. Ransomware

Ransomware was one of the most prevalent types of attack in 2018. And it will continue to prove a threat in 2019.

Ransomware is one kind of malicious software that is designed to block your access to a computer system until you pay the hackers money.

There are several heavy-hitting ransomware attacks out there.

Cyber criminals can add JavaScript code to a website. Then when you go on that site, a pop-up states that you need to update your browser.

If you do this, the attacker can steal your credentials. He or she will demand a ransom or will threaten to sell your data to the highest bidder.

Attackers can embed ransomware in software that web application developers aren’t aware of. This means that these cyber security threats can crop up on trusted sites.

Final Thoughts on Cyber Security Threats

We hope this list of cyber security threats likely to appear in 2019 help you be aware and on guard.

Next, check out these 5 tips for choosing hosting for a reliable website.