Sponsor: Symantec Corporation

Security analysts called 2013 the year of the mega breach, and severe vulnerabilities such as Heartbleed and Shellshock in 2014 showed that the security community can never rest on its laurels. All indications are that 2015 will bring more of the same, with the struggle between those wishing to create new threats and exploit vulnerabilities and those looking to protect against them likely to intensify. Advancements in the Internet of Things also means consumers will have increased connectivity across their devices, gadgets and machines – and with this connectivity comes the potential for a whole new range of security risks.

Will the Internet of Things usher in a new wave of security attacks? As countries move towards their smart nation master plans, what role will Big Data play? What's next in the mobile security space?

Symantec's APJ security predictions for 2015 takes a look at issues that will affect individual consumers, businesses and governments in the region.

For those doing business in Australia, New Zealand, Singapore. or in other parts of the Asia Pacific region, privacy is a significant concern. Businesses holding personal data have a responsibility to preserve the privacy and confidentiality of that data. The task is complex, especially in an era of sophisticated, global cyber-crime. Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) certificates can help protect data and meet the demands of privacy laws across the region.

With 93% of people doing at least some of their holiday-season shopping with online merchants, e-tailers of every kind need to get their websites in gear and ensure their customers feel confident shopping on their site. Whether it’s shopping online, instore pick-up, or even browsing and wish lists, customers are offering you an unprecedented amount of data and sales this season. But fail to keep your customers safe with good website security, and all you’ll get is a lump of coal in your stocking.

Stuxnet, a high-profile cyber-attack, used malware signed with legitimate code signing certificates. What went wrong and how can you protect your own assets?

The recent release of the Firesheep Wi-Fi attack tool has increased awareness among both users and attackers of the inherent insecurity of unprotected HTTP connections. Users on unprotected networks who connect to websites through plain HTTP connections expose their connections to those sites to open surveillance and full compromise.

As customers increasingly choose to shop, share, bank, and view accounts online, they have become more savvy about security. However, concerns about identity theft and fraud still keep many website visitors from completing, or starting, their transactions online. They need to be reassured that the confidential information that they share will be protected from malicious activity.

The history of medicine is filled with technological discoveries and innovations that have improved quality of life and enhanced patient care for billions of people around the globe. With a nudge from recent changes in the law, technology is about to revolutionize the healthcare industry once again.

The fear of fraud, spoofing, phishing, identity theft, and lax website security have a sizeable percentage of consumers wary of using credit cards online. According to the 2011 Norton Cybercrime Report, cyber fears are on the rise – nearly three quarters of adults (74 percent) say that the possibility of cybercrime is something they are always aware of when online and nearly 9 in 10 adults say it’s important their security software protects their computer 100 percent of the time.

Phishing scams and online fraud have created an environment of fear and doubt among online consumers. Phishing is a form of “man-in-the-middle” attack that uses emails and websites that appear legitimate to trick visitors into sharing personal information. These types of attacks were developed by hackers to circumvent SSL’s end-to-end capabilities. The phishing threat continues to grow, and up to 35,000 new phishing sites are detected every month. Even if you are not a target, phishing casts its net far and wide and it has a detrimental effect on consumer confidence.

As one of the top cyber crime ploys impacting both consumers and businesses, phishing has remained a consistently potent threat over the past several years. In fact, the cumulative number of phishing attacks recorded in 2011 represented a 37 percent increase over 2010. You no longer need to be a sophisticated hacker to commit fraud on the Internet. Anyone who is motivated can join in, thanks to the off-the-shelf phishing kits provided by a thriving cyber crime ecosystem.

The online world can be a scary place as the integration of the Internet into everyone’s lives has also brought with it an ever-increasing trend towards malicious activity. Consumers are understandably concerned. This angst leads to diminished trust in e-commerce and sub-optimal results for online businesses. Consumers and businesses, alike, need protection from online security threats in order to thrive on the Internet and take full advantage of the many benefits of e-commerce.

There are many reasons why now is the right time to make the move to Microsoft Exchange Server 2010, including a host of administration and security improvements. However, as with Exchange Server 2007, Exchange Server 2010 requires SSL certificates to ensure the security of all connections to the email server. This guide from Symantec™ will help you take the guesswork out of implementing SSL for Exchange 2010, making it easier than ever to get the SSL certificate you need for a successful and secure Exchange implementation, and to take advantage of powerful capabilities such as Subject Alternative Names (SANs).

Whether you are an individual or a company, you should approach online security in the same way that you would approach physical security for your home or business. Not only does it make you feel safer but it also protects people who visit your home, place of business, or website. It is important to understand the potential risks and then make sure you are fully protected against them. In the fast-paced world of technology, it is not always easy to stay abreast of the latest advancements. For this reason it is wise to partner with a reputable Internet security company.

Compliance is a fast-moving target, and it’s getting harder to keep up. In a survey by IT Policy Compliance Group, a consortium dedicated to helping IT security professionals meet policy and compliance goals, 70 percent of all respondents reported being subject to multiple regulatory compliance mandates, as well as contractual obligations and industry standards.