Each year the Midsize Enterprise Summit team, in conjunction with our advisory board and numerous industry analysts and experts, compiles a list of the most influential executives in the midmarket. This is a list of individuals who work for technology suppliers including vendors, solution providers, software developers and others who sell to midmarket customers. This year’s list was the largest yet representing 76 companies and their midmarket leaders. Many of the executives on this list attended the Midsize Enterprise Summit Fall Conference where they were honored during an on-stage appearance at the MES XCellence Awards. CRN, an industry-leading online and print publication, posted the list on its web site.

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.

As technology continues to become a utility that even young children understand, it’s my opinion that the CIO role no longer requires a hard-core technical background. I don’t see myself as an IT guy as much as I do a business technology person. Certainly, you have to have technology knowledge and a skill set, but so do most business executives in this day and age.

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.