Bangalore, December 29 2016:  The security experts at Symantec have taken a close look at the trends we can expect to see this year and in the years ahead.
 Increased IoT attacks. As more IoT devices are installed in the mass market, the risk of security breach will increase. Once insecure devices are in the market, it becomes almost impossible to fix the issue without recalling them or issuing security updates. Given that this lack of security will continue for the foreseeable future, the number of IoT attacks will only increase as well.
Rogue nation states will finance themselves by stealing money. There is a dangerous possibility that rogue nation states could align with organized crime for their personal gain, such as what we saw in the SWIFT attacks. This could result in down time for countries’ political, military or financial systems.
 Fileless malware will increase. Fileless infections – those written directly onto a computer’s RAM without using files of any kind – are difficult to detect and often elude intrusion prevention and antivirus programs. This type of attack increased throughout 2016 and will continue to gain prominence in 2017, most likely through PowerShell attacks.
Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) abuse will lead to increased phishing sites using HTTPS. The rise in popularity of free SSL certifications paired with Google’s recent initiative to label HTTP-only sites as unsafe will weaken security standards, driving potential spear-phishing or malware programs due to malicious search engine optimization practices.
Drones will be used for espionage and explosive attacks. This could be seen in 2017, but is more likely to occur further down the road. By 2025, we can expect to see “dronejacking,” which will intercept drone signals and redirect drones for the attacker’s benefit. Given this possibility, we can also expect to see anti-drone hacking technology being developed to control these devices’ GPS and other important systems.

The overall message?  A challenging security environment in 2017.  Here's wishing all a Happy new (and safe) year!