We are mere weeks away from the close of 2020, and not a day goes by without me hearing someone say they can’t wait for this year to be over. Certainly, the year has posed challenges for many of us personally and professionally. In fact, the cybersecurity industry as a whole has come under fire, according to CSO Online. While Chris Krebs continues to defend the work of the CISA in ensuring that the 2020 presidential election was secure, Governing reported, “Biden’s pick of Alejandro Mayorkas to lead DHS has been considered a promising sign for cybersecurity.”

Others are indeed looking to 2020 through a lens of optimism, particularly with regard to artificial intelligence (AI). Disaster Recover Journal predicted, “The implementation of AI and machine learning helps us identify attacks by being able to analyze and predict attacks in real-time. In 2021, we will see much more of this as organizations invest in avoiding cyber-attacks, before they become a threat.”

Before we get too caught up in looking ahead, let’s take a look back at what made industry headlines this week.

Dec. 4: Infosecurity magazine reported, “According to the NCSC, there were over 17,400 reports of online retail fraud last Christmas shopping period, which runs from the start of November until the end of January. They amounted to total losses of £13.5m, or £775 per incident.”

Dec. 4: In a Rhode Island federal court, 33-year-old Himanshu Asri, from Delhi, India, pleaded guilty to wire fraud charges in which he allegedly scammed victims of nearly $1 million.

Dec. 3: The New York Times reported IBM’s cybersecurity division discovered a series of cyberattacks, “aimed at the companies and government organizations that will be distributing coronavirus vaccines around the world.”

Dec. 3: “The malicious software known as TrickBot has morphed again, this time with a module that probes booting process firmware for vulnerabilities, possibly setting the stage for attacks that could ultimately destroy devices, researchers say,” CyberScoop reported.

Dec. 2: As we anticipate the transition to a new American president, the Institute for Security + Technology hosted a panel of industry experts who discussed, “the Biden administration’s expected leadership, projected cyber strategies, and the implications for both domestic and international politics.”

Dec. 1: Louisiana’s Cyber Crime Unit arrested several alleged perpetrators of Internet crimes against children, Attorney General Jeff Landry announced.

Nov. 30: The US Supreme Court began hearing arguments in the case of Nathan Van Buren’s 2017 conviction on charges that he violated The Computer Fraud and Abuse Act (CFAA).