State of Malware 2019

Key predictions for 2019
1. 2017 focused on ransomware and attacking the consumer. 2018 was the year of the “Mega Breach”, but 2019 will be the year that businesses are in the crossfire.
a. SMB vulnerability seekers such as Eternale Blue and Eternal Romance will present challenges to businesses because they can self-propagate.
2. New, high-profile breaches will push the security industry to finally solve the username/password problem.
a. Ineffective username/passwords have plagued consumers and businesses for years. While there are many solutions available, the cybersecurity industry has not been able to settle on a standard to fix the problem. In 2019, we will see a more concerted effort to replace passwords altogether.
3. Less trust overall.
a. There will be less and less trust in the people that hold our data, and we will start to
take more individual responsibility to secure our own data by embracing BYO
security solutions and embracing 2 factor authentication measures for both personal
use, and in the corporate environment.
b. This is understandable considering that businesses will become the primary target of
cybercriminals, carrying on from the activity in 2018.