“Ransomware attacks appear to be becoming more dangerous,” commented Marty P. Kamden, CMO of NordVPN. “Furthermore, system administrators are not prepared to protect their networks from the most sophisticated attacks. We believe these attacks will only get worse.”
Furthermore, internet freedom has been steadily declining. For example, in the United States, ISPs have the right to collect customer data without consent and sell it to third parties, and net neutrality is under attack. Other countries are also passing laws that restrict this freedom.
These are NordVPN's predictions for 2018, plus tips on how to protect ourselves.
1. Increase in IoT attacks. Internet of Things (IoT) devices are becoming more commonplace and are a prime target for attacks. When one device is compromised, a hacker can take control of the entire system of interconnected devices. One of the biggest fears is that hackers could compromise IoT medical devices and access patient information. Connected homes will be another popular target for hackers. What's more, hacked IoT devices can be used in large-scale DDoS attacks, potentially gaining access to virtually any online service or website.
2. Increase in travel data breaches. Hackers have discovered that people who book their travel online share their passport and credit card information, which they can then steal. This marks a shift toward more targeted data breaches, focusing on specific groups of people, such as travelers, holiday shoppers, and others.
3. New and larger ransomware attacks. This year we have seen how a ransomware attack can disable hundreds of thousands of computers worldwide. Companies are still not prepared for these sophisticated technologies, so there is a huge risk of further ransomware attacks.
4. China will ban VPNs. The Chinese government has approved a regulation requiring telecom providers to block VPN (Virtual Private Network) users' access by February 1st. This would mean that many people in China will be unable to access the global internet, as many sites, such as Google and Facebook, are blocked in China.
5. The European Union is implementing data protection regulations. The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), which will come into effect in May, will introduce stricter rules for companies that store users' personal data and require them to obtain customer consent. This regulation will have a global reach and will force companies to protect user data. It is one of the rare examples of a government attempting to protect data privacy.
6. Digital Economy Act in the United Kingdom. The UK plans to pass a law requiring age verification for visitors to adult websites. This age verification is done by collecting user data, which poses a huge risk and has the potential for sensitive private information to be stolen.
7. Dutch referendum on government surveillance. The Netherlands will hold a referendum next year to determine whether law enforcement authorities have excessive surveillance powers. Many activists are trying to overturn the law passed in July, which allows government agencies to collect data on large groups of people at once.
How to secure your web presence in 2018.
Internet users can still take steps to secure their own computers or smart devices. It's important not to click on suspicious links received in emails, not to download unofficial apps from any store, to always use strong passwords, and to generally be cautious.
It's also recommended to use online privacy tools such as VPNs, which encrypt all information shared between the user and the VPN server. NordVPN helps make browsing the internet safer thanks to its modern security protocols and no-logs policy.
With the decline in online security and privacy, specialists will be in high demand, and companies will need to create job openings for cybersecurity professionals. Those who want to protect their own data at home need to learn some simple cybersecurity tricks.
