Is 2015 Half Empty or Half Full?

With 2015 crossing the half way point, let's take a look at some technology trends thus far.

Breaches: Well, many databases are half empty due to the continued rash of intrusions while the crooks are half full with our personal information. Data breaches are on a record pace this year and according to the Identity Theft Resource Center (ITRC), there have been 400 data incidents as of June 30, 2015. One more than this time last year. And, 117,576,693 records had been compromised. ITRC also noted a 85% increase in the number of breaches within the banking sector. From health care to government agencies to hotel chains to universities and even Major League Baseball, breaches and attacks are now a daily occurrence.

Cloud: Who would've thought back in 2008 that this cloud thing would now be half full? Over the last couple years, the 'cloud' has become a very viable option for organizations large and small. It is becoming the platform for IoT and many organizations such as Google and GE are now moving critical corporate applications to the cloud. While hybrid is the new normal remember, The Cloud is Still just a Datacenter Somewhere.

DNS: While IPv4 addresses are now completely empty, DNS seems to be half to almost full in 2015. DNS continues to be a target for attackers along with being an enabler for IoT. It is so important that Cisco recently acquired OpenDNS to help fight IoT attacks and the courts got a guilty plea from an Estonian man who altered DNS settings on infected PCs with the DNSChanger malware. I think of DNS as a silent sufferer - you really don't care about it until it doesn't work. Start caring this year.

Internet: Full but still growing. As noted above, IPv4 addresses are gone. Asia, Europe, Latin America and now North America have run out of IPv4 addresses and have exhausted their supplies. If you're wondering how to handle this glass, F5 has some awesome 4to6 and 6to4 solutions.

IoT: Things, sensors and actuators are all the buzz and are certainly half full for 2015. At this time last year, IoT was at the top of the Gartner Hype Cycle and it has certainly not disappointed. Stories abound about Internet of Things Security Risks and Challenges, 10 of the biggest IoT data generators, the Top 10 Worst Wearable Tech Devices So Far, The (Far-Flung) Future Of Wearables, along with the ability to Smell Virtual Environments and if We Need Universal Robot Rights, Ethics And Legislation. RoboEthics, that is.

Mobile: We are mobile, our devices are mobile and the applications we access are now probably mobile also. Mobility, in all it's connotations, is a huge concern for enterprises and it'll only get worse as we start wearing our connected clothing to the office. The Digital Dress Code has emerged. Mobile is certainly half full and there is no empting it now.

Privacy: At this point with all the surveillance, data breaches, gadgets gathering our daily data and our constant need to tell the world what we're doing every second, this is probably bone dry. Pardon, half empty, sticking to the theme.

That's what I got so far and I'm sure 2015's second half will bring more amazement, questions and wonders. We'll do our year in reviews and predictions for 2016 as we all lament, where did 2015 go? There is that old notion that if you see a glass half full, you're an optimist and if you see it half empty you are a pessimist. Actually, you need to understand what the glass itself was before the question. Was it empty and filled half way or was it full and poured out? There's you answer!