This year has had its share of cybersecurity bombshells. Cybersecurity vendor McAfee revealed widespread theft of government data over the past five years. Now the hacker group Anonymous has threatened to take down the New York Stock Exchange's computers .

Expect more of the same in 2012, maybe even worse. So says a new report (pdf) from the Georgia Tech Information Security Center.

So-called search poisoning will emerge. That's where a cyber attacker inserts a virus or spyware into your search results.

Beware of Mobile Web-based attacks as well. Mobile phones have always been relatively insecure. Now that so many people use them to surf the Web and store sensitive data, they've become a prime target for hackers.

The Georgia Tech report also cautions against the use of hijacked computers, called botnets, to steal personal information from your online accounts and then sell that info to marketers.

Your best defense is common sense. Update your passwords and antivirus software regularly. And play it safe when surfing the Web from your phone. Stick with app stores and other sites you know and trust. 

—Larry Greenemeier