In 2018 technology touches nearly every aspect of our life. But no innovation seems to come without some form of drawback or compromise. While technology has undoubtedly improved most of our lives, it has also brought new risks that we all find a way to balance – or in some cases choose to ignore. The number of cybersecurity breaches in 2018 speak to this risk.

From the energy industry, to local governments, to something that hits a little closer to home for most – Facebook – it seems like cybersecurity breaches were constantly in the news. As 2018 draws to a close I wanted to discuss some of the cybersecurity stories from 2018 and what we can learn from them.

Cybersecurity and the Olympics

This past winter, all eyes—including hackers’–were turned to PyeonChang for the 2018 Olympics. From the very start, the games faced a slew of cybersecurity threats. On the very first day, a computer virus was used to attack the opening ceremony. While increased connectivity and use of smart technologies for performance and judging the Olympics made the games more exciting than ever, it also led to increased vulnerabilities and a need for airtight cybersecurity strategies. This year’s 2018 winter games was just one example of how diverse stakeholders—including government, event sponsors, technology supplies and cyber security at events—will have to come together to build an effective strategy against cyber threats at massive events.

The Energy Industry Under Threat

The early months of 2018 highlighted the extent to which the energy industry has become a target of hackers. In March, the US Department of Homeland Security reported that Russian hackers had accessed the control rooms of U.S. electric utilities. Such breaches had been preceded by earlier attacks on electric power grids in the Ukraine in 2017.  In attempts to address such threats, the North American Reliability Corporation (NERC) has hosted grid security exercises to prepare stakeholders to handle such attacks. These exercises have stressed the need for coordination and communication during a cyberattack. As the energy industry works to handle the threat of cyberattacks, the correct training and tools for communication will be critical.