10 Big Ideas in Digital Security

It wasn't long ago that security news meant obscure vulnerabilities and viruses spreading across desktop computers. But now people everywhere are worried about snooping government agencies, Heartbleed letting their personal data loose on the Web, and rising mobile threats. Heck, the coverage of Edward Snowden's leaks about the National Security Agency's domestic spying efforts netted Pulitzer Prizes this year. As our lives become more focused around digital devices and the Internet, more people are getting worried about security, and rightly so. The question is, what are the real issues-and what's just flavor-of-the-month hype from the mainstream media?

For a solid overview of what really matters, rewind to this past February, when thousands of attendees flocked to San Francisco for the RSA Conference. Among them were the creators of security products and the researchers who have broken some of the biggest security stories. It's one of the largest gatherings of its kind, and the ideas from RSAC will have a huge impact on digital security for the rest of the year.

Snowden and Security People used to joke that the U.S. Government was listening to everything everyone said, but no one's really laughing about it anymore. The alleged deal between the National Security Agency and RSA Security cast a pall over the conference, which is no longer directly affiliated with the RSA company.

Surprisingly, the NSA decided once again to have a presence on the show floor this year. Even if they hadn't, it was hard to avoid the NSA. Some vendors handed out coasters with the agency's logo on them, while other people took to writing snide remarks on public whiteboards. One vendor apparently objected to being located near the NSA's booth, while another took the opportunity to run looping videos about Snowden.

Some speakers pulled their presentations in protest and organized a competing one-day event called Trustycon. This was meant to help raise awareness of privacy issues, though some people saw it differently.

China Who? Last year, the boogeyman under everyone's bed was China. The fear among industry insiders was state-sponsored or lone attackers from China stealing intellectual property and either selling it or giving it to Chinese competitors. There was also the threat of cyberwar between nations, made all the more real by continued reports of sophisticated Advanced Persistent Threats.

Fast forward to this year and concerns are more mellow. Speakers mentioned 'intellectual property theft,' but didn't see the need in saying who would be behind it. When 'nation state' attacks were mentioned last year it almost certainly meant 'China' but this year it could have easily meant 'The United States of America.'

Ten Things Outside of these big stories, there were some promising developments, new technology, and tried-and-true advice at RSA. First and foremost? Patch your software. There were also many vendors keen to move past passwords, which we'll hopefully see happen soon. Also, I hope you all do the reading before next year's show.

These were some of the big stories that security experts are buzzing about, but they aren't the only ones. Here are our top ten big ideas that are happening in security right now.