Even though there has been a strong focus on cybersecurity throughout 2016, the year 2017 will be a defining moment for online security. Experts have weighed in what we are most likely to encounter in the cyber world over the coming months, and things are not looking pretty. New emerging trends will pop up, whereas “usual suspects” will continue to wreak havoc.

#4 Ransomware Will Increase in Popularity

As if the world had not seen enough ransomware just yet, things will not improve over the coming 12 months. NSFocus Chief Research Intelligence Analyst Stephen Gates predicted how the next generation of this malicious software will have an impact similar to some of the largest trojans and botnets our society has dealt with over the years.

It is expected new forms of ransomware will be capable of infecting hundreds, if not thousands of machines in quick succession. All of this can be achieved with one single payload, and enterprises will be a prominent target for criminals. It will be up to security researchers and IT staffers to safeguard computer systems against these attacks.

#3 The Rise of Internal Cybersecurity Threats

Companies can only achieve security if the people working for them can be trusted. Unfortunately, that is not always the case, and it is expected internal threats will become more prevalent in 2017. Malicious actors will continue to steal credentials. Moreover, untrained staffers will remain a prone target for

#2 Crime-as-a-service Will Take Center Stage

We have seen the rise of crime-as-a-service business models in 2016. Hackers and other malicious actors offer DDoS attacks, botnets, and malware distribution as-a-service to other criminals. This creates a cascading effect that multiplies the number of cybersecurity threats exponentially.

Organized crime is shifting to the online world, and this trend will only become more apparent. There is always a demand for those who can provide help, and plenty of bad actors will pay a fee to use these services. It will take a joint international collaboration on an unprecedented scale to keep these criminals in line.

#1 Cyber Espionage Will Gain More Attention

State-sponsored hacking has been a trend for quite some time, yet things are destined to pick up in intensity sooner or later. Attacks have become more frequent and sophisticated in 2016, and 2017 will see its version of the “cyber war.” Things can get ugly very quickly if nothing is done to prevent these attacks.

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