Security Predictions for 2019

We are going to join in on January prediction fun! Let's take a quick look back before we look forward.

Security has increased greatly in the last 10 years, both in understanding and implementation. Here are 10 examples:

1. Antivirus is but one of many security tools available and widely used. Event monitoring systems like ELK or Splunk improve rapidly as machine learning finds anomalies in patterns making it increasingly difficult for attackers to hide.

2. Intrusion Prevention Systems crossed over into conventional networks thanks to next gen firewalls.

3. Data Leak Prevention solutions are developing quickly and are ready for mainstream markets.

4. Patch management solutions are widely available and staggeringly easy to implement and use.

5. Not only have Anti-spam products become fantastic but they are constantly getting better. Thanks Google and Microsoft!

6. Security education programs are popping up at many institutions. Shameless member plug: Fanshawe’s Cyber Security program is awesome.

7. Home wireless routers now ship with WPA2 and a passphrase configured by default.

8. Password security has gotten much better with the adoption of multi factor authentication and the use of password management systems.

9. Encryption is practically standard now. At least 2/3 of the traffic traversing our network is encrypted.

10. Software development has integrated security. Software is more secure than ever.

Cyber Security has clearly and objectively gotten much better so we feel safe predicting this trend will continue in the future.

1. Ansible automation will introduce security modules. Automation in general will start encompassing security processes. Unfortunately there’s such a gigantic deficit of skilled security professionals that this is necessary.

2. Machine Learning will become a free option in ELK. Machine learning is such a powerful tool it would be a shame to not proliferate this technology.

   2.1. Neural network technology will be used to enable application whitelisting. Application whitelisting is the antithesis of malware but its high administrative cost severely limits adoption.

3. Quantum/Organic computing will be used by nations to both breach encryption and make cryptography more secure. We are about to reach 160 qubits so we believe quantum supremacy will occur in 2019.

4. Microsoft will downstream Windows Defender Advanced Threat Protection in an effort to propagate this technology more widely. Higher adoption rates will lead to increased effectiveness.

5. IPv6 will finally experience mass adoption across the globe.