Most Popular Cybersecurity Blog Posts from 2019

2019 was quite a year in cyberspace. As highlighted last month in my year-end top story blog, the top cybersecurity theme was all about the ways that ransomware targeted state and local governments and hospitals. In fact, we are still learning about some 2019 government ransomware impacts, like this story from Albany County, N.Y., over Christmas break.   

Also, data breaches were up more than 33 percent in 2019, when compared with 2018, according to Risk Based Security.

So readers always ask: What were the most popular Lohrmann on Cybersecurity & Infrastructure blogs in the past year?

We crunch the numbers every January, and offer you the opportunity to go back and focus in on the topics that others are reading and spending their time on or have special significance.

Overall, blog page views are up 25% percent over 2018, which is no surprise.

Top 10 Blog Posts First Published in 2019

1. The Top 20 Security Predictions for 2020 — Whether you call them cybersecurity forecasts, online risk trends or security predictions, here’s a roundup of what our top security companies, industry experts and tech magazines are saying about the year (and decade) ahead. How can you prepare for 2020?
2. CISO Expectations Are Becoming Impossible to Achieve — The multi-year rise in data breaches, ransomware attacks and insider threats has led to a surging global need for cybersecurity leaders to save the day. But here’s why the CISO ideal is harder than ever to deliver.
3. Ransomware Attacks Becoming More Widespread, Destructive, Expensive — After more destructive attacks globally against critical infrastructure, the stakes are growing for the public and private sector regarding ransomware. Let’s explore the latest malware, including LockerGoga.
4. An Inside Look at New York State Government Cybersecurity — As part of its enterprise IT transformation, New York state radically transformed its cybersecurity efforts. In this exclusive interview with CISO Deborah Snyder, we see how her team implemented their impressive program.
5. Where Next for Smart Cities? — As we head into the 2020s, most cities strive for the label “smart city.” But what does that mean and where is this trend going? Here’s your roundup of smart city developments, plans and ongoing challenges.
6. RSA Conference 2019: What You Need to Know — The 2019 version of RSA Conference in San Francisco has come and gone. Here are some of the product and session highlights, major themes and excellent resources to dig deeper into myriad cybersecurity and technology topics.
7. How Local Governments Can Address Cybersecurity Challenges — In an interview with Teri Takai, who’s the former CIO for the U.S. Department of Defense and for the states of California and Michigan, we explore how local governments can tackle the growing cyberthreat.
8. Corporate Best Practices in Security Awareness and Training Programs — Lear Corporation is a leading global supplier of automotive seating systems and electrical systems. And Lear executives, staff and contractors also understand the importance of cybersecurity. CISO Earl Duby shows us how that works so well at Lear.
9. Tax Fraud and the Dark Web in 2019 — As we head into the day that federal income taxes are due in the USA, new research shows that identity theft is becoming easier, cheaper and more prevalent in 2019 via the dark web. Let’s explore.
10. Ransomware: Who’s to Blame or Not to Blame in Baltimore Attack? — As the ongoing impacts of the ransomware attack against the city of Baltimore worsen, the blame game has reached national news headlines. Let’s explore some of the precedent-setting issues involved.

Another Look at the Top Blog Metrics

And this year, we decided to try something new. Rather than just look at blog posts published last year, we examined the top read blogs in 2019 – regardless of when they were published. Here you go:

Top Overall Blogs Viewed in 2019 – Regardless of When They Were Published

1. Chip Implants: The Next Big Privacy Debate - Some say we will all, eventually, be chipped. Others say — never! Let the privacy, legal, technical, professional, medical, security, political, religious and ‘oh so personal’ battles begin.
2. The Top 19 Security Predictions for 2019 - It’s time for the cybersecurity industry’s annual predictions, online threat forecasts and cybersecurity trend reports. Here’s your roundup of top insights from the leading security companies and cyber experts for 2019 and into the 2020s.
3. The Top 20 Security Predictions for 2020 - Whether you call them cybersecurity forecasts, online risk trends or security predictions, here’s a roundup of what our top security companies, industry experts and tech magazines are saying about the year (and decade) ahead. How can you prepare for 2020?
4. GDPR in the USA: What’s Next - GDPR-mania has arrived. With the new European Union (EU) law taking effect on May 25, 2018, the Internet will never be quite the same. Opinions on GDPR are all over the map, and lawsuits have already been filed. Here’s a media roundup on what organizations in the USA and around the world are saying, and doing and planning regarding GDPR.
5. CISO Expectations Are Becoming Impossible to Achieve - The multi-year rise in data breaches, ransomware attacks and insider threats has led to a surging global need for cybersecurity leaders to save the day. But here’s why the CISO ideal is harder than ever to deliver.
6. Ten Recommendations for Security Awareness Programs - How do we improve the security culture in our organizations? It's time to take another look at what works for security awareness programs.
7. New National Cyber Strategy Message: Deterrence Through U.S. Strength - The new White House cybersecurity strategy makes one message clear: America will not sit back and watch when attacked in cyberspace. On the contrary, in areas ranging from critical infrastructure to space exploration to intellectual property protection, the USA will respond offensively as well as defensively in cyberspace. Here’s what you need to know about President Trump’s new cyber strategy.
8. New Guide on State Data Breach Laws - A new guide covering a summary of data breach laws in every state and territory was recently released by Digital Guardian. The guide attempts to answer questions like: How do state laws protect you? Here are the details.
9. Ransomware Attacks Becoming More Widespread, Destructive, Expensive - As the ongoing impacts of the ransomware attack against the city of Baltimore worsen, the blame game has reached national news headlines. Let’s explore some of the precedent-setting issues involved.
10. Smart Cities: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly - More and more devices are plugging into your government’s corner of the Internet of Things (IoT), but are we truly implementing the right projects in 'smart' ways? Here’s what you need to know about the state of smart cities opportunities along with some potholes to avoid and questions to be answered.

10b. The Future of Remote Work - Will remote work dramatically change the 2020s? Disruption is already beginning. Let’s explore future trends for digital nomads and everyone else — including the cybersecurity implications of our changing workforce habits.

Some Overall Blog Metric Takeaways

I was really surprised by the attention that the chip implant topic has received.  In fact, several journalists have asked for interviews to cover these issues in more detail.

I was not surprised by the attention given to the annual security predictions blogs, as these always receive plenty of attention and more and more global coverage. These summaries provide references to the top industry reports, and many industry colleagues express their gratitude for this post every year.

As we head into the 2020s will the palm print or other biometrics replace credit cards? Or, will implanted chips be more widely adopted. Either way, the privacy and security debates have just begun – so expect much more coverage of this topic this year.    

Another hot topic will be privacy regulations and plans to roll out penalties and/or other actions to ensure enforcement of new laws like the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA).