Today ESET released its annual security forecast for the upcoming year entitled – Trends 2017: Security held ransom. The report, assembled by ESET security experts, presents key cyber security topics of relevance for both businesses and consumers about the latest threats taking shape in the new year. The takeaway seeks to ensure that readers will be better prepared to tackle the associated challenges and thus be better protected.

Based on intelligence gathered by ESET’s Research Laboratories across the globe, the report suggests that the “year of ransomware” will continue into 2017. “We anticipate a new trend on the horizon: The Ransomware of Things or RoT, i.e. the possibility of cybercriminals “hijacking” devices and then demanding a ransom payment in exchange for restoring control to the user,” reads the report.

With the cost of cybercrime up over 200% in the past five years alone, ESET assembled the report to not only help businesses and individuals understand the advanced tactics and techniques employed by criminal hackers, but to safeguard against threats in the coming year. Considering the adverse reputational as well as financial impacts which result from cybercrime, it is critical that all users are aware of the types of attacks that can affect them. The report also highlights the importance of continual education as one of the essential components for staying safe online and offers its readers simple steps for raising one’s level of awareness.

The Trends 2017: Security held ransom report, is divided into nine sections, each focusing on one important aspect of information security. Most of the sections deal with threats, either by type (Ransomware, Vulnerabilities, and Mobile) or by industry (Healthcare, Critical Infrastructure, and Gaming). The report provides ESET’s perspective on wider developments in the security industry which are predicted to play a bigger role in 2017.

Download the entire ESET Trends 2017: Security held ransom report, read its digested version on WeLiveSecurity.com, find out more about ESET technologies or discover latest security news.