On the cyber front, 2015 paints a dark picture. The year has been filled with massive data breaches, disruptive cyberattacks, and espionage. Neither government agencies nor private companies were safe. The 2014 Sony hack grabbed headlines and shocked the nation, but hardly anyone was prepared for an attack in the magnitude of the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) breach, which left Americans with a profound feeling of violation. In 2015, hackers successfully infiltrated the networks of military, financial, healthcare, and higher education organizations, even those of the cybersecurity industry itself. Nations have become increasingly comfortable with fighting their battles online, using covert cyberattacks to accompany traditional warfare in on-going conflicts in Ukraine, Iraq, Syria, and Yemen. 
 
Will 2016 be any different? While data breaches and hybrid warfare are likely to continue, Internet users’ awareness of cybersecurity issues has reached an all-time high, companies are pouring investments into strengthening their cyber defenses, the United States and China were able to reach a deal banning commercial cyber espionage despite the countries’ otherwise lukewarm relations, and the privacy issues are getting prime time attention.
 
To discuss how 2016 will likely challenge today’s security thinking and what we can learn from the past year’s developments and these trends, please join the Atlantic Council’s Cyber Statecraft Initiative on Wednesday, December 9 from 4:00 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. for a moderated panel discussion with a group of prominent cybersecurity experts.

Follow the conversation on Twitter at @ACScowcroft using #ACCyber.

Click here to view a live webcast of the event.