Software Engineering Institute

In today’s increasingly interconnected world, the information security community must be prepared to address emerging vulnerabilities that may arise from new technology domains. Understanding trends and emerging technologies can help information security professionals, leaders of organizations, and others interested in information security to anticipate and prepare for such vulnerabilities. This report, originally prepared in 2015 for the Department of Homeland Security United States Computer Emergency Readiness Team (US-CERT), provides a snapshot of the current understanding of future technologies.

This report will be updated every two years to include new estimates of adoption timelines, new technologies, and adjustments to the potential security impact of each domain. This report also helps US-CERT make an informed decision about the best areas to focus resources for identifying new vulnerabilities, promoting good security practices, and increasing understanding of systemic vulnerability risk.