BOHH Labs: What to Watch For in 2018 in Security

One thing we all know by now is that security is the linchpin of mobile payments. There are still plenty of people who refuse to use mobile payments thanks to a perceived lack of sufficient security. A new report sent our way from BOHH Labs reveals what was big in 2017 in security, and what will likely be big in 2018.

The biggest challenges seen in 2017 were familiar ones: mobile and Internet of Things (IoT) device security both were among the top of the heap, but so too were such threats as ransomware and an overall shortage of security skills.

BOHH Labs’ CEO Simon Bain went into further detail, noting that ransomware is now the fifth most frequently seen form of attack on systems, and there’s no sign that 2018 will see any slowdown in its use. Moreover, 21 percent of organizations reported experiencing a data breach directly linked to their bring your own device (BYOD) doctrines, commonly represented by mobile devices.

In sum, Bain noted “As the end of 2017 nears, it is clear it has been an eventful year for the cybersecurity industry. It is important to take a careful look at these growing trends and see where, why and how hackers are spending their time. By examining and learning from past attacks, we can better understand the steps we need to take for improvement.”

Which is true, if so generalized that it’s impossible to draw much in the way of specifics from the concept. But then, we’re talking about a field where those who would attack systems are frantically trying to come up with new measures, and those who would protect systems are left having to respond. It’s next to impossible for cybersecurity to be proactive, as it’s impossible to tell what new attack system will be developed to pursue access.

This leaves cybersecurity professionals constantly preparing to fight the last battle, and always a step behind. There are some good general practices to follow—strong passwords, regular antivirus updates and the like—but even these only go so far. One thing is clear about 2018: it’s going to be a big year for attacks. Sadly, that’s about the only thing that’s really clear so far in 2018’s cybersecurity front.