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The Best 2009 Security Predictions I’ve seen

Opinion
Jan 11, 20092 mins
IT Leadership

Predictions – everyone seems to have them. We’re still in early January, so I wanted to summarize the best of what I’ve seen as well as contribute my opinions to the many 2009 security lists floating around in cyberspace.

A Google search on  “2009 Security Predictions” yields millions of results. Starting at the top, SANS usually offers good insights, so here’s their list of top predicitions which was updated on January 9. I didn’t see too many “way out there” statements, and some of these predictions already came true in 2008 such as David Hoelzer’s: “I predict that in 2009 a major corporation who is fully PCI/DSS compliant will experience a major data breach, proving the point that “Compliant” is not the same as “Secure”.

(A look at recent major data breaches in the past few months will show you which company I’m referring to.)

A Georgia Tech Information Security Center Report entitled Emerging Cyber Threats Report for 2009″   is subtitled “Data Mobility and Questions of Responsibility will Drive Cyber Threats in 2009 and Beyond.”  Althought there were no major surprises, the report listed the following five emerging threats as the greatest challenges in the year ahead: “Malware, botnets, cyber warfare, threats to VOIP and mobile devices, and the evolving cyber crime economy.  

Network World’s Andreas M. Antonopoulos lists his security predictions for 2009 which includes: “Regulatory compliance will be back with a vengeance.” I agree with him on the list, but again there are no “wow” statements or big surprises here.

Finally, I like the slideshow of predictions offered at Channel Web.  This list is by far the most original and creative.

And the winner is… Channel Web. No doubt the economy and tough times will impact security in unknown ways but will dominate the backoffice of security.

Any thoughts on other predictions that you’ve seen?

dlohrmann

Daniel J. Lohrmann is an internationally recognized cybersecurity leader, technologist and author. During his distinguished career, Dan has served global organizations in the public and private sectors in a variety of executive leadership capacities, including enterprise-wide Chief Security Officer (CSO), Chief Technology Officer (CTO) and Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) roles in Michigan State Government. Dan was named: "CSO of the Year," "Public Official of the Year," and a Computerworld "Premier 100 IT Leader." Dan is the co-author of the Wiley book, “Cyber Mayday and the Day After: A Leader’s Guide to Preparing, Managing and Recovering From Inevitable Business Disruptions.” Dan Lohrmann joined Presidio in November 2021 as an advisory CISO supporting mainly public sector clients. He formerly served as the Chief Strategist and Chief Security Officer for Security Mentor, Inc. Dan started his career at the National Security Agency (NSA). He worked for three years in England as a senior network engineer for Lockheed Martin (formerly Loral Aerospace) and for four years as a technical director for ManTech International in a US / UK military facility. Lohrmann is on the advisory board for four university information assurance (IA) programs, including Norwich University, University of Detroit Mercy (UDM), Valparaiso University and Walsh College. Earlier in his career he authored two books - Virtual Integrity: Faithfully Navigating the Brave New Web and BYOD For You: The Guide to Bring Your Own Device to Work. Mr. Lohrmann holds a Master's Degree in Computer Science (CS) from Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland, and a Bachelor's Degree in CS from Valparaiso University in Indiana.

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