Key Insights from RSA 2016: Emerging IoT Security Trends and Predictions

The 2016 RSA Conference in San Francisco highlighted the growing importance of information security, with a focus on the Internet of Things (IoT) as the top trend.

Britta Glade noted that IoT submissions have moved from observational to solution‑oriented, indicating a maturing market driven by consumer‑facing companies.

Organizers also observed increased attention to industrial control systems and IIoT, where legacy security protocols are being challenged by robots, sensors, and building automation.

Several experts offered predictions: Nathaniel Borenstein warned that IoT will spawn new business models and complicate privacy, while Mark Coderre emphasized the need for “security by design” and robust cyber‑threat intelligence.

Laurent Philonenko warned that the surge of connected devices will overwhelm traditional networks, prompting adoption of mesh topologies and fabric‑based solutions.

Lila Kee forecasted that public‑key infrastructure (PKI) will become ubiquitous in IoT security, especially for industrial and critical‑infrastructure devices.

Lasse Andresen described a “chip‑to‑cloud” security model that protects devices from the silicon layer through the cloud, eliminating windows of vulnerability.

Thorsten Held warned of ransomware targeting biomedical devices, and Sam Rehman highlighted the growing impact of regulatory requirements on IoT safety.

Marty P. Kamden pointed out the rising privacy and security concerns for consumer IoT, promoting VPN use as a simple mitigation.

Ian Worrall suggested that blockchain and distributed ledger technologies could address the massive data‑management challenges of IoT ecosystems.

Trevor Daughney concluded that IoT manufacturers will shift from asking “why secure?” to “how to implement security,” focusing on data‑access controls and combined software‑hardware protections.