MES IT Security Board member Terry Orletsky has seen first-hand how viruses have grown from pesky nuisances that impacted isolated businesses, to cybersecurity threats that dominate headlines worldwide.

With decades of IT experience under his belt, Terry Orletsky has witnessed the transformation of the security landscape on many different fronts.

In the wake of numerous high-profile cybersecurity attacks against big business and government entities, AlienVault President and CEO Barmak Meftah told hundreds of CIO and IT leaders at the recent Midsize Enterprise Summit Fall conference that a good security defense also needs a good offense.

While the majority of IT leaders spend most of their security budget and staff attention on prevention measures, the reality is that hackers can usually find a way in if they are persistent.

In speaking at the Midwest Enterprise Summit Fall Conference about the state of the IT security industry, Joe Sykora, Vice President of Americas Channels & Enhanced Technologies for cybersecurity security vendor Fortinet, described it as “a new world, with new rules and no compromises.”

During his keynote address on Monday, Sykora talked about the rise in cybersecurity crimes in recent years that have been making news headlines around the world.

Marc Goodman is one of the nation’s leading experts on global security and author of a best-selling book. He is a keynote speaker for the upcoming NexGen Cloud Conference & Expo which, like the Midsize Enterprise Summit, is operated by The Channel Co. We asked Goodman if he would share some of his insights via excerpts from his Future Crimes which delves inside the digital underground and the battle for our connected world.

Below is an excerpt from Chapter One of Goodman’s book.