As a tumultuous 2020 draws to a close, it’s with growing trepidation that I gaze once more into my crystal ball to predict what 2021 might bring for cyber security.
As the world reels under COVID-19’s sudden and profound disruption — and nations wonder who and what to depend on for solutions as uncertainty prevails — maintaining trust in institutions, in businesses and in technology will be crucial to a global recovery.
We’ve anxiously debated the evils of fake news and control over social media, worried about the privacy implications of tracing apps, watched conspiracy theories over 5G proliferate, and agonised over the national security of our technology supply chains.
Permeating each of these debates is the notion of trust — a theme that in 2021 will continue to dominate public sentiment everywhere as people look for leadership, comfort and reassurance of better days. Public trust will no doubt be tested along the way, particularly as the threat of costly organised-crime attacks during the pandemic continue playing on our fears and arousing doubts.