As technology advancement continues at a break neck speed, what can we expect in 2019? More of the same. In particular watch for the following trends that impact security to occur:
1. More application of AI – both in the workplace and at home:
We will definitely continue to see more application of AI. At home, devices like Alexa, or even google mail that tries to write your emails for you, will become the norm. We should expect systems to do much of our work for us, including ordering out groceries as they run out.
As everything in life, this trend has both positive and negative implications. Our lives will be made easier, allowing us to gain more leisure time as we eliminate the once necessary minutia in our lives. That is a big positive. On the negative side, however, it is easy for companies to develop extensive profiles on us based on our digital activities. For example, if you order bacon, pizza and doughnuts many times a week, and you are over 30, you are probably a good candidate for obesity or diabetes. Companies may then raise your healthcare rates – without ever even meeting you – all based off of digital behaviors. This is AI at work, using the mass of data available.
As we progress in the world of AI, we will see both huge advances and complex ethical questions continue to be discussed in 2019.
2. Continued advancement with autonomous vehicles:
In 2019 we will continue to add automation to both vehicles and road infrastructure. This is very exiting and will lead to many changes that once seemed only possible in the movies. On the positive side, no one is going to be home bound because they can not drive. This is very liberating to many seniors and handicapped individuals. However, many issues remain: legal, insurance and of course hacking. If there is no actual driver, who is liable in an accident? Who buys insurance? What if it is a semi-autonomous vehicle? What if someone hacks the vehicle and takes control? What security measures need to be added and constantly downloaded to the vehicle.
This very rich topic will continue to develop throughout 2019.
3. More IOT:
Another interesting advancement is with the internet of things or IOT. We will continue to see the advent of IOT both in the home and in industrial environments. Convenience and ease of control is the name of the game and so many IOT devices are becoming part of everyone’s day to day lives. You can check on your baby through a connected baby monitor when you are out, but did you remember to change the password that comes from the factory? Can a stranger hack in and watch your child? There have been cases of divorce disputes where one partner locks the other out of home control systems, turns off the lights, heat and other amenities. Hospital devices, building furnaces and other commercial equipment are also connected now, giving better monitoring and control to organizations. These same devices provide more ways to hack into buildings, hospitals etc. and gain access to vital systems. There have been several cases of boiler explosions caused be hackers.
So, more work on securing IOT and of course more IOT is in the cards throughout 2019.
4. Hack and More Hacks:
More sophisticated and yet simpler hacking attacks will be seen in 2019. A good case in point was described in the WSJ article on January 11. It talked about an attack by Russian hackers on a 10-person company, that is not sophisticated, and does not think of itself as a prime target. However, because it is a sub-sub contractor for a power plant, it was the perfect target that allowed a trusted way into our power grid. Lessons learned: Even small companies require extensive protection, and the protection should be based on the clients that a company services, not necessarily the size and visibility of its business.
In 2019 we should look for these simple, yet more complex or sophisticated attacks to continue.
5. Finally, expect more advances in quantum computing:
Quantum computing is a rapidly developing field. We are probably 2-5 years out from having a fully operational quantum computer. Having such will however change the face of cybersecurity forever as all traditional encryption methods will become breakable. Look for advances in Cyber to protect against this powerful tool. This is one area that should be taken very seriously in the next few years.
If you’d like to find out more about future trends, contact Vaporstream.
Contributor: Galina Datskovsky