2019 Could Get Worse for Privacy Protection

Major data leaks or security breaches punctuated a good portion of 2018 – passwords were leaked, new sophisticated malware attacks spread and data was breached. However, one privacy expert said 2019 could be even worse.

Daniel Markuson, digital privacy expert for the Panama-based virtual private network provider NordVPN, noted 2018 shocked the world by highlighting systemic cybersecurity issues for many industries, including financial institutions. But it also caused multiple governments to adopt new rules and laws, which are having a global effect now and will continue to for years to come, he said. “Still, 2019 can bring some hope for the future – but only if governments and corporations understand the importance of digital privacy and security.”

The NordVPN expert listed five significant trends that will shape cybersecurity and digital privacy in 2019.

1. Identity theft, phishing scams and personal data loss will hit a new high. From Facebook and Google to Quora and Marriott, 2018’s data breaches affected more than one billion people around the globe. “Add that to the existing pool of leaked data, and hackers will have an invaluable resource for tailoring a phishing scam or taking over your Facebook or Netflix account. Without a doubt, it will be used in 2019.”
2. Some governments will lean toward higher data security standards. The GDPR in the European Union established a new set of game rules by regulating the way corporations protect their customers’ data. “It is still early to tell whether the new regulations have made a positive impact, but they have brought a shift toward more responsible use of private data.” In 2019, some non-EU countries will likely follow the example and introduce a similar set of laws for data protection as well. “All eyes will be on the U.S., where California has set a high bar by passing the Consumer Privacy Act. However, it is still unclear if other states will follow. We really hope they do!”
3. Use of encrypted communications will face new challenges. “In December, Australia passed the Assistance and Access bill, also known as the anti-encryption law – all despite an uproar within the society.” The bill requires tech companies to create backdoor access to the encrypted communications of their users. It would be used by law enforcement agencies to intercept and read the content of the private messages. “Despite the opposition to the law, similar ideas have been floated in multiple countries including the U.S.,” Markuson said.
4. Tech companies will look for new ways to win the trust of their potential customers. “A lot of data has been stolen this year. Despite the companies’ size and significance, despite the self-proclaimed ‘best security practices,’ despite the risk of being fined under the GDPR. It’s no surprise that ensuring customers’ trust will become more critical than ever,” Markuson added. Companies, he said, will learn (slowly, however) from their mistakes and invest in penetration testing, security audits, artificial intelligence and implementing zero-trust policies to prove that they are making an effort to protect their clients.
5. Cloud security will become a bigger issue. As people change locations and devices, cloud computing becomes inevitable both for private users and corporations. At the same time, it becomes a bigger security problem. Markuson said, “GoDaddy, Los Angeles 211 center, Viacom and just recently the United Nations had their data records harvested from cloud storage. The biggest issue is still simple configuration errors and user neglect. Nevertheless, as we can expect more leaks and breaches here, new cloud security measures and services will come out in 2019.”