Mobile devices will be a hot target for cyber criminals in 2012

Mobile devices will be a hot target for cyber criminals in the coming year.

Computer security company McAfee unveiled its 2012 Threat Predictions on Wednesday.

It says hackers will bypass PCs and go straight after mobile banking apps, as more and more users handle their finances on on their smart phones and tablets.

You can also expect to see more "legal" spam in 2012.

Legitimate advertisers are picking up where the spammers left off using the same spamming techniques, such as purchasing email lists of users who have "consented" to receive advertising or purchasing customer databases from companies going out of business.

Another hot target will be virtual currency. That’s when people exchange money over the Internet.

McAfee says these online wallets are not encrypted and the transactions are public, making them attractive for cybercriminals.

Utility companies also need to watch out.

McAfee says water, electricity, oil and gas are essential to people's everyday lives, yet many industrial systems are not prepared for cyber attacks.

We can also expect to see more 'hacktivism' in 2012.

McAfee says groups like 'Anonymous', which use the Internet to carry out coordinated online attacks, will target public figures such as politicians, industry leaders, judges and law-enforcement, more than ever before.

So what can you do to protect yourself? McAfee, like other companies, says one way to to only download mobile apps from official app stores and read user reviews before downloading them.

CLICK HERE to read the entire report. (For mobile users go to http://blogs.mcafee.com/consumer/2012-mcafee-threat-predictions-consumers )