Cloud-based malware looms large on the horizon

The cloud will increasingly be used for malicious purposes in 2009, as malware writers look for more efficient ways to send spam and launch attacks, according to content security vendor Websense.

The firm's Security Labs argued in its predictions for 2009 that the cloud offers malware writers the same benefits as businesses in being easy-to-use, rent-as-you-go and highly scalable.

In this way, it could be used by hackers for sending spam or to launch more sophisticated attacks including hosting malicious code for downloads and testing malicious code, said Websense. The firm also predicted a rise in the use of rich internet applications (RIAs) for malicious purposes as hackers exploit vulnerabilities in apps such as Google Docs.