Cyber Threats Mega Trends in Cyber Space

Digitalization has become a fundamental part of human and corporate life and is deeply embedded in their daily activities. Products and services are becoming more intelligent and are connected with each other and humans in new ways. Digitalization also brings new threats. Criminals find new opportunities in new digital knowledge, utilizing, stealing and selling it. The possibility of a malicious attempt to damage or disrupt a computer network or system or device is called a cyber threat. The most important cyber threat areas identified in this study are: (1) smart phones, mobile devices and Internet-of-Things, (2) web interface, (3) social media, (4) targeted attacks, (5) information leaks and privacy, and (6) cloud services. In the future, the cyber security environment will be shaped by an ever more broadening cyberattack surface, the industrialization of hacking and the complexity and fragmentation of IT security market. Findings also suggest that the future will witness an increase in competence of cyber attackers, an increase in costs of information leakages, a lack of compatible security technologies, and a lack of skilled professionals. Cyber attackers discover new possibilities in the areas of Internet-of-Things, cloud services, big data, and mobility, bring-your-own device philosophy. The purpose of this research was to get an understanding of the global cyber threat situation. The research aimed to answer the following questions: (1) what kind of mega trends can be identified? (2) What are the most important cyber threats and how can the risks relating to them be mitigated? (3) Who are the cyber actors? (4) What kind of longer term threat trends can be identified? The research covered 19 global and national threat reports. The reports were published by security firms, IT companies and national institutions in 2015 and 2016. The method used in this study was content analysis.