New Delhi – Security software company McAfee published its Cyber ​​Threat Predictions on Monday in which it predicts that Web3 and ChromeOS scams will dominate the online threat landscape by 2023.

“McAfee encourages consumers to protect themselves online by being critical in evaluating whether a website or source is genuine and ensuring they are using legitimate sites for online payments and transactions,” the company said.

Verification of images, videos and news content, which is already on the rise, will continue to be an important and valuable part of media consumption, he added.

With the pandemic, the hype around cryptocurrencies, Bitcoin, and NFTs increased dramatically. As a result, the concept of “Web3” appeared, which includes decentralized Internet services.

By exploring these Web3 offerings, consumers will be unaware of the dangers of cryptocurrency or creating their own NFT content, leaving them vulnerable to scams, according to the company.

These scams can tempt users to click on a link or download an app that appears to legitimately interact with certain blockchains.

Such apps may not have the functionality to interact with any blockchain or may contain invasive adware that compromises users’ privacy, time, device performance and data usage and drains your device’s battery.

Additionally, the company said it can expect to see Chromebook users among millions of unsuspecting victims destined to download and run malicious content by 2023.

Whether they look like legitimate Android apps, Progressive Web Apps, or extensions from the Chrome Web Store, users should be wary of pop-ups and push notifications urging them to install untrustworthy apps, the company added.

McAfee has predicted four major scams with newer hooks that consumers should be wary of: cryptocurrency scams, investment scams, fake loans, and Metaverse.

–IANOS