Executives are targeted by cybercriminals not only for their access and authority, but also because they might not be up to speed on security, writes Sourya Biswas, principal security consultant at NCC Group. Biswas discusses "whaling"—a variant on phishing— and offers tips to execs while cautioning their security teams to never give them a "free pass" on training.

Shifting traditional strategies for handling data to "a targeted, always-on model" will create new insights, writes Jieke Pan, chief technology officer at Mobiquity. Pan adds that enterprises "need to move away from collecting data for data's sake."

Hackers can't wait to steal data from connected cars and could cause plenty of mayhem down the road, writes Eric Taub. A good indication: When Karamba Security posted online specs for a decoy electronic control unit, 25,000 breach attempts were recorded—with one successful.

The sheer amount of computer code written and the amount of data collected guarantee cyberattacks will always be part of the US experience, writes Daniel Howley. Stuart Madnick of MIT draws this analogy: "If your building has 20 doors on it, your job is to make sure all 20 doors are kept locked at night," but the burglar only has to find one unlocked door.

With the need for talent high, now is "a perfect opportunity to increase the representation of women in the industry," writes Taree Reardon, senior threat analyst at VMware Security Business Unit. Reardon acknowledges the uphill battle women face in STEM fields but says she'd like to see the percentage of women rise to more than 30%, compared with 24% now.