Between the Yahoo hack, the DNC email leak, and the DDoS attack that took down much of the Internet, 2016 has seen an unprecedented wave of cyber-attacks.

But these headlines offer but a glimpse into the cyber-war that’s waged every day on a grand scale. Evolving threats and new vulnerabilities mean this war is in a state of constant flux. By analysing current security trends, however, we can try to gauge what the attacks of the future will look like.

These are my predictions for 2017:

1. Attackers won’t just steal data — they’ll change it
   Criminals aren’t just looking to make a quick buck anymore. They’re playing the long con. By subtly manipulating information, they can inflict reputational damage, erode the integrity of data, or even influence public opinion via ‘fake news’.
2. Insider threats will rise dramatically
   As networks become busier and more complex, indications of insider threat will get lost in the noise of the network. Yet, these subtle changes could represent thousands of files being removed by a careless employee.
3. The Internet of Things will become the Internet of Vulnerabilities
   According to Gartner, 13.5 billion connected devices will be in use by 2020. The Dyn attack exploited these smart devices to devastating effect, and future attacks will continue to use vulnerabilities in the IoT for large-scale attacks.
4. Consumer devices will be held hostage
   In 2016 alone, ransomware has skyrocketed by 400 percent. It’s only a matter of time until these attacks start to target consumer devices. Your smart TV, your phone, your computer, even your car could be held for ransom.
5. Artificial intelligence will go dark
   AI will soon become a cyber-weapon. Highly sophisticated and persistent attacks will use AI to bypass traditional defenses. From the shadows, they’ll be able to manipulate data, launch advanced phishing campaigns, steal sensitive files, or activate a kill-switch.

But there is hope. If we can forecast the upcoming threats, we can better prepare ourselves for the challenges to come. Our security strategies for the new year should be designed with these threats in mind.

In the meantime, on behalf of everyone here at Darktrace, we hope you have a wonderful holiday, a happy New Year, and a cyber-safe 2017.