Humans want to feel safe and secure. We lock our doors at night, set the alarm, and always make sure to update our antivirus software. Yet these high profile ways of having our sanctity violated are not the only security risks posing a threat to households and businesses across the world. Here are the leading under-reported security concerns of this decade and beyond:
Biosecurity
Blood and tissue samples are increasingly being used to test and determine a whole host of medical issues. The genetic information found in these samples will continue to gain significance as humanity advances its understanding of DNA. The result is a growing level of security risk associated with biological samples.
The protocol of established, highly secure biobank facilities will become the standard across the world as preserved genetic material becomes a routine aspect of medical science. Failure to adhere to their example will lead to huge biosecurity risks in the years ahead.
Home Security…Security…
Millions of people worldwide are utilizing cloud technology and mobile devices for streamlined home security. Chances are you’ve seen the commercials; a lady is in a park on her tablet when the doorbell rings; she swipes over to see a POV camera shot of her front door miles away where a would-be burglar is testing to see who’s home.
These technologies are wonderful, but the trade off is, of course, the creation of a whole new way for people to look inside your place of residence. If an unauthorized user succeeds at gaining access to this cloud based home security network, he could be able to observe the happenings of you and your loved ones for one of numerous demented purposes.
Cybercrime Specialties
We worry about our bank accounts, credit cards, and savings – all of which are almost exclusively handled online these days – from being accessed by unauthorized users. However, these mainstream methods of stealing money via computer are a bit old hat (old black hat?)
The doors down these corridors are heavily secured, forcing online criminals to turn to alternative routes for stealing funds. These always changing, ever evolving specialties of cybercrime will keep law enforcement on their toes for decades to come, with innocent Internet users caught in the digital crossfire.
The Internet of Things
One of the most highly anticipated impending technological revolutions is the Internet of Things, or IoT. The gist of the IoT is a world where everything from microwave ovens to motor vehicles is connected to one another and the Internet in general.
It’s a bold new vision for the future, something truly out of science fiction, but this world won’t be without added security risk. Leave it to the wily imaginations of cyber criminals to extrapolate personal information from your refrigerator, no doubt they’ll find a way.
The natural instinct is for us to seek a place of safety and security. It’s human nature, if not a cornerstone of life in general. Chances are you’ve taken proper care to protect against the commonly cited security risks out there, but these aren’t the only threats to worry about.
The under reported security concerns of the 21st century may seem far fetched now, but they will soon become the things keeping the unprepared up at night.
Photo credit: Thierry Ehrmann / Jim H.
Editorial notice: This post has been sponsored.
