Cybercriminals never sleep. As we move into the digital age with each passing year, bad players continue to find new ways to bypass security measures to achieve their ill-intended goals. At this point, it’s not a question of “if” cyberattacks will hit us, but more “when” they’ll hit us. 2022 was a record-breaking year due to the vast amount of data breaches, phishing attacks, and hacktivism cases. Each new year brings the proliferation of threats to make away with our precious data.
Since cybercrime is on the rise now more than ever, it’d be wise to educate ourselves on the trends we can expect in the cybersecurity field in 2023. Knowing the most critical developments in these trends can provide great insight into maintaining a solid security stance. Both consumers and organizations depend largely on computerized systems in their daily activities. Therefore, knowing what to expect can help us better prepare ourselves.
7 Cybersecurity Trends of the Year
The quick pace at which technology develops and moves forward makes cybersecurity efforts paramount to consider. After all, these measures need to be creative in order to face these continuous, ever-evolving threats. Threats can result in devastating damage to individuals and companies if not taken seriously.
Many reports from various sources indicate risks will continue to grow as we delve deeper into the digital age. The ENISA Threat Landscape report shows ransomware and attacks against availability ranked as the most notorious risks in 2022. Another report from Sophos found that financial institutions were the primary targets of cybercriminals online.
Given the record number of cybercrime cases in recent years, you can imagine how 2023 will turn out. So, without further ado, here are seven cybersecurity trends we can expect for the year ahead.
#1: Government-Sponsored Attacks and Cyber Warfare Are Happening
The state is always searching for more information to protect itself better. As such, we can expect governments around the world to continue to use data breaches and spyware to keep tabs on their populations. This double-edged sword can protect governments but, at the same time, put individuals who don’t align with a given ruling power’s philosophy at risk.
Simultaneously, elections are a preferred target for cybercriminals. Regardless of their location, it’s not uncommon to see Western hackers attacking Eastern hackers and vice-versa. It’s no secret that data breaches and disinformation campaigns peak whenever an election happens.
#2: Data Breach Headlines Won’t Be Stopping Anytime Soon
Properly safeguarding data is a leading concern; it doesn’t matter if it’s for an individual or a business. Any present bug or flaw in a system could compromise your personal, valuable information. Due to this, having robust cybersecurity measures can go a long way in protecting essential data, such as intellectual property, user identification information, and company data.
In addition to this, governments worldwide are also enacting stricter measures for data protection and privacy. The purpose of these efforts is to step up the privacy protection for citizens while at the same time making companies disclose their cybersecurity practices periodically.
#3: Mobile Devices Are Prime Targets
Security applications within cell phones, tablets, and other mobile devices will start to gain notoriety this upcoming year. By now, it’s no secret that these devices play a central role in many lives. Whether an individual or an organization, you’re a prime target for attackers. Nowadays, hackers love exploiting the lack of solid cybersecurity practices on mobile devices to access valuable personal information.
Banking malware attacks and data breaches are among the most well-documented attacks we can expect this year. Application hooking, which involves a hacker gaining deep knowledge of an app’s source code to replicate it in the form of a fake application to steal login credentials, will also be rampant.
#4: Zero-Trust Is the Way to Go
Just because we can identify and authenticate a user during login doesn’t mean things should stay status quo. Here, zero-trust comes as a more scalable, highly secure alternative to virtual private networks (VPNs). In a zero-trust environment, users undergo a continuous validation, reassessment, and reauthorization process through various authentication methods. This model aims to reduce the wide number of data breaches caused by poor or repeated passwords, as reported by Verizon in its Data Breach Investigations Report.
The traditional implementation of a heavily guarded firewall is acceptable, but once bad actors find their way around, everything else becomes vulnerable. Zero-trust models prevent these malicious parties from moving laterally within a system by employing numerous blockades and checks on users. A study published by Teramind found that organizations that opted for zero-trust architectures could save 43% on data breach costs.
#5: AI Implementation Is In
Prevention and detection tools based on AI and machine learning will continue to become the norm. Thanks to intelligent monitoring, these tools can more effectively identify and fight emerging fraud patterns used by hackers and scammers. AI has the advantage of being able to track and flag suspicious activity in a more efficient way than humans.
Another advantage of AI is that it can run indefinitely, constantly monitoring for threats. The use of AI to perform monitoring tasks will continue to rise this year as more cybersecurity organizations opt for machine-learning technologies to detect and contain data breaches faster. Thanks to this implementation, consumers will enjoy their digital lives with reduced risk.
#6: Cloud Security Will Improve
Another trend to keep an eye on is cloud security. Most cloud services fail to provide good authentication practices, secure encryption measures, and audit logging. Although many cloud management solutions have come a long way to make everyone’s lives easier, there are still areas that could see improvement. Weak cybersecurity makes these cloud service providers a notable target in the eyes of hackers and fraudsters. Many will continue improving their protective measures as we move further into 2023.
#7: IoT Attacks Will Be Commonplace
Last year, the number of IoT-connected devices ascended to 13 billion. This number will grow to 30 billion by the time 2030 rolls around. This rapid growth has increased the number of endpoints through which hackers can obtain our information. The risks from IoT-related attacks vary – they encompass anything between eavesdropped conversations and espionage to even serious health concerns.
Another point worth considering is the consequences of having all these low-cybersecurity devices to contend with. For example, hijacking surveillance cameras can help thieves organize their robberies better. In healthcare, hackers can take control of pacemakers and manipulate them, representing a significant danger to an individual’s health. Lack of regulation has been a major worry. Nonetheless, starting this year, we expect manufacturers to put a noticeable effort into beefing up their security.
Wrapping Up About The Cybersecurity In 2023.
Having security measures at the ready is integral to enjoying today’s digital life worry-free. Individuals and organizations need to place great importance on cybersecurity to safeguard the sensitive information they handle.
Many organizations expect cybercrime to cost companies worldwide trillions of dollars as we move forward. Undoubtedly, criminals won’t stay put. They will continuously change and evolve their methods. However, with the information shared here, you should be able to strategically plan and make the best decisions both for your life and your business. Remember: think proactively! Don’t let cybersecurity efforts go to waste. Continued education and awareness will help you minimize any risk.
References:
- ENISA Threat Landscape 2022
- Sophos: The State of Ransomware in Financial Services 2022
- Osano: Data privacy laws: What you need to know in 2023
- Verizon: Data Breach Investigations Report
- Teramind: 5 Stats That Show The Cost Saving Effect of Zero Trust
- Statista: Number of Internet of Things (IoT) connected devices worldwide from 2019 to 2021, with forecasts from 2022 to 2030
- Intrusion, Inc.: Cybercrime To Cost The World $10.5 Trillion Annually By 2025
