As identity theft continues to grow, so does the business around it. Companies like Life Lock are turning into something of a cyber defense contractor, you might say. These cybersecurity companies will become the Blackwater or Academi of the future. With the recent 2016 US elections producing claims of Russian involvement in tampering with voting machines and even North Korea’s alleged hacking of Sony images, there is huge profit potential in the latest cyber defense. The US military has even opened a branch within the Army Corps. The US Army has apparently been waging a global cyber war against hackers for many years, according to Business Insider’s Paul Szoldra.
Companies like Root 9B of Colorado Springs, Colorado to DF Labs of Lombardy, Italy are in the business of protecting the individual in cyberspace just as Academi does for individuals in the physical dimension. This will likely generate a great emphasis on cyber warfare between nations in the future. Where there is money in conflict, there will be conflict over money.
We may be in the beginning stages of a global cyber war with countries like Russia, North Korea, and even China. This will create an ideal environment for these cyber contractors from around the world to exploit their talents in cyberspace and win government contracts, earning profits and greater market share. While the US military looks for the best (white hat) cyber hackers to protect US cyberspace, cyber security companies are doing the same and locking in the talent to stay one step ahead as well. from rogue hackers from all corners of the country. world.
Another interesting aspect that can arise is the conflicts between these cyberspace contractors who can be brought face to face by their opposing clients. Cybersecurity companies have the ability to go on the offensive and be the ones to hack into other companies, countries or people. To enter a cyber war, there will be civilian casualties in which innocent people irrelevant to current conflicts may suffer identity theft. There may be expansions in information wars between companies, as in the area of industrial espionage. This can lead to company suppliers being caught in the crossfire and facing life and death situations for their own businesses. This could also mean that confidential customer information will be at risk if pharmaceutical companies release confidential prescription medical records and other sensitive information.
This concept of cyber warfare, if applied to reality, will almost guarantee major fluctuations in stock prices, as well as a dangerous environment for the more neutral day-to-day customers of companies around the world. The cybersecurity industry needs to think of all stakeholders and understand that when serving one customer, you may be hurting another on the other side of the world, resulting in wary leads, as well as investors or even creditors.
Another find I’ve made is the non-profit Global Cyber Security Center (GCSEC), which is based in Italy. A non-profit organization promoting cyber security around the world will need to have a strong grip on neutrality due to its status in the world economy with its global reach. This non-profit organization is likely to face difficulties when conflict arises between clients in other parts of the world, which may force the GCSEC to choose a side to avoid conflicts of interest, but this can result in the downfall of the organization without profit. With global influence, the GCSEC will have the world watching at all times, criticizing at all times, and this can make stakeholders mistrust the nonprofit.
According to a 2017 survey by PricewaterhouseCoopers, phishing scams increased 38% in 2016, as well as 55% of companies and individuals in the world affected by piracy. Saying that cybersecurity is needed is a fact. However, to say what the future is, you need to be willing to accept the potential ramifications of moving forward and letting cybersecurity companies lead the markets and, in a sense; the world.