Following up on our prior posts, we now turn to the future of cybersecurity. In so doing, we are reminded that, just as technology and the Internet are rapidly changing, so is the need for defenses against cyber attacks. Today’s cutting edge includes smart cities, connected devices, digitized records and smart cars. They bring with them increasing threats of attacks using the Internet of Things (IoT), and illegal access to private data. At a recent panel discussion hosted by Sheppard Mullin, experts focused on both the near future – the threat of a new bot army possibly set to launch attacks within weeks – and the more distant future – the coming advent of quantum computing and what it will mean for cybersecurity. We must prepare for tomorrow’s threats by doing our best to anticipate them today.

Putting It Into Practice: Anticipating future developments is by its nature extremely difficult, if not impossible. However, companies can improve their odds of getting it right by remembering that cybersecurity is an extremely dynamic field that changes quickly and constantly. Companies should keep an eye on these rapid changes, and create teams, systems and plans that maximize flexibility and adaptability along with preparedness.