Sadly, every year in recent times has been far worse than the last in terms of the number of attacks, the damage done and the number of records accessed.

This leads us to the first cybersecurity prediction for next year:

1. 2021 will be the worst year on record for cybersecurity: Without a doubt, there will be more financial damage, more companies bankrupted and more money stolen than ever before.
2. Cryptocurrencies will see a record number of hacks: The proliferation of new currencies and mainstream adoption of currency – of course coupled with rising values, make cryptocurrencies an attractive hacker target. Expect record hacks.
3. Cryptomining software will make a comeback: The last time we saw crypto markets going up dramatically, cryptomining software became a big hacker tool for installing on the computers of unsuspecting users. This software uses up computer resources as it performs computations which are needed to unlock virtual currency. 2021 will see a record increase.
4. Work from home users will continue to be a target: With hundreds of millions of workers in their homes and apartments – many, without proper security in place, expect attacks on home users to be worse than ever. This will include ransomware and other exploits.
5. We will witness a murder via hacking – most likely in a vehicle or healthcare facility/device, auto or IIoT industrial plant. We think there will be more than one. We are not saying it will be targeted but we expect some bad hacking news which takes one or more lives.  
6. A major cloud provider will be taken down by a hacking group. Amazon, Microsoft, Google, etc. So far, these companies have been somewhat resilient in the face of the global hacking onslaught but one or more will get hit next year.
7. A major U.S. facility – government, DoD, Nuclear plant, etc. will have to deal with a hacking attack which is successful, causing some degree of panic.
8. A major U.S. facility – government, DoD, Nuclear plant, etc. will have to deal with a DRONE-Based attack which is successful, causing some degree of panic.
9. There will continue to be a global shortage of cybersecurity talent.
10. There will be greater adoption of Macs in part because companies hope they are more resistent to viruses.

Protecting yourself is getting tougher but must be done to keep your business or government agency, school, state, city, etc. running.

Ask the experts at Apex Technology Services about how we can help your organization stay secure.

Rich Tehrani is CEO of RT Advisors and a Registered Representative with and offering securities through Four Points Capital Partners LLC (Four Points) (Member FINRA/SIPC). RT Advisors is not owned by Four Points.

The above information was strictly a technical/business news article/review regarding the company(ies) mentioned. The information contained should not be considered and is not a recommendation to invest in or sell short the securities of the underlying company(ies).