Corporations are about to increase the amount of detailed consumer data they collect to an unprecedented level, according to a new report from Intel Security’s McAfee Labs.
“Within the next five years, the volume and types of personal information gathered and stored will grow from a person’s name, address, phone number, email address, and some purchasing history to include frequently visited locations, ‘normal’ behaviors, what we eat, watch, and listen to, our weight, blood pressure, prescriptions, sleeping habits, daily schedule, and exercise routine,” according to the company’s annual threat prediction report, released on Tuesday.
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Through wearable devices, subscription music services, “smart televisions” and other Internet-connected devices, the report suggests, global companies will gather data that tracks consumers’ every move. It adds that trying to escape from this will be futile, and that the security implications will be enormous.
“This combined information represents the digital exhaust that will become a mainstay and unavoidable by-product of modern life,” the authors note. Some entities will siphon it away legitimately, while others, such as nation-states and criminals, will obtain it by any means necessary.
“Because that information will have greater value, we will want to protect and control it. Some will continue taking our data ‘legitimately,’ by burying the terms in a service agreement for an otherwise innocuous app or service. Others will try to lift it from the cloud, through our devices, or as it crosses the many networks we traverse every day. Others, of course, will want to steal it,” the report states.
“Although people often think of organized crime and other criminals, potential adversaries also include hacktivists, nation-states, and others not necessarily seeking direct financial gain. As we look ahead to the personalization and consumerization of cyberattacks, adversaries may also include a competitor, political opponent, spouse, neighbor, or other personal nemesis, as well as the rising activity of chaotic actors who just want to see things burn,” the authors say, quoting a line from the film “The Dark Knight.”
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The report describes the implications. “The personal data economy is going to be a boon for consumers as they capture more and more value from their activities and information. We face tremendous threats to personal privacy as this data and the value it represents attracts thieves. We also face threats to innovation and civil liberties as this data attracts regulatory activity. Organizations of all types will lobby for their point of view, and for limited liability in the face of a breach.”
With respect to that point, the recent past may serve as prologue. The Senate passed “information sharing” legislation last month that would work to free companies from certain liability if they agree to share troves of cybersecurity data with federal agencies.
