On Sunday, August 26^th, the country will celebrate National Dog Day. Sure, this day was chosen to celebrate man’s best friend – those loving companions some of us just can’t live without.

Just a week into the new year and Gartner’s prediction that information security spending will reach $93 billion in 2018 seems perhaps a big understatement. Even before the end of the 2017, many security experts suggested the number was on the low side of conservative. And that came before the report of a massive vulnerability to microprocessors with Spectre and Meltdown. Regardless of where the number ends up, with headlines like this one from CNN on January 5, 2018 – “The security of pretty much every computer on the planet has just gotten a lot worse” – makes a number over $100 billion seem more plausible. But, for the purposes of this blog we’ll use the $93 billion figure.

A Personal Perspective on Security Resolutions for 2018

It was our original intent to put together a brief recap of the year in cyberattacks, breaches and exploits. But “brief” hardly seemed possible when we started digging in. Mexican journalist attacks, BlueBorn, KRACK, Broadcom WiFi chip bugs, WannaCry, Loapi, the Equifax hack and all the other DDoS, MITM, malware, ransomware, spearphishing and spoofing attacks made the list, but these are just starters.

This Sunday, December 10th, 2017 marks the 69th anniversary of the United Nation's Human Rights Day and kicks off a year of commemorations, looking back to recognize the sacrifices of those who have led the way to the freedoms and rights people now enjoy around the world. Those who protested, picketed, marched and stood in line for days to vote. Those who litigated and negotiated. And those who were persecuted, imprisoned and killed.

The topic of smartphone hacking isn’t likely to make it into Monday morning watercooler conversation. That is of course, unless you are a security professional and the very survival of your organization may hang on understanding it and protecting against it.