More security vulnerabilities will appear in the software of Adobe and Apple than in Microsoft’s, more attacks on the Internet’s infrastructure will occur, and cybersecurity events will stoke international tensions. Users of Apple desktops and laptops for years have been relatively insulated from the kinds of malicious activity that has besieged those in the Windows world, but that’s going to change next year.
More software flaws will affect Adobe and Apple in 2017, compared to Microsoft. Declining PC sales and an exodus to mobile platforms have dampened interest in targeting devices running Windows. Microsoft also has upped its security game in recent times, which has made it more difficult for attackers to find vulnerabilities in Windows.
Signs of hackers’ increased interest in Adobe and Apple started appearing in 2016, flaws unknown to researchers until malicious actors exploit them numbered 135 for Adobe compared to 76 for Microsoft. Meanwhile, Apple’s vulnerability count during the same period increased to 50, shooting up from 25 in 2015.