This article is the third part of our cybersecurity series. If you haven’t yet, check out the previous parts:
- The 5 Most Common Types of Cyberattacks: Essential Knowledge to Safeguard Your Digital Assets.
- 18 Major Cyberattack Examples: Real-World Incidents and Their Impacts
Is it hard to predict cybersecurity trends?
While it’s challenging to foresee exact events, specific patterns and factors provide valuable insights.
Cybercriminals often evade punishment, and state-sponsored hacking is on the rise, with countries employing hackers to target critical infrastructures and major tech companies. Geopolitical tensions further complicate cyberspace, leading to more frequent conflicts between hackers from different nations. These seemingly minor attacks can significantly impact important events, such as elections.
As conflicts escalate, we can expect high-profile data breaches and the exposure of sensitive political and industrial secrets. Addressing these issues will be a top priority in upcoming cybersecurity trends.
With the digitization of organizations and the proliferation of IoT devices, the need for adaptive cybersecurity strategies becomes more pressing. Companies must proactively implement AI-based threat detection systems to predict and respond to new threats swiftly, putting them in control of their cybersecurity.
Let’s explore more trends that will shape the future of cybersecurity.
Enhancing Cybersecurity through Effective Awareness and Training
According to the Cyber Observer report, 80% of data breaches could be prevented if companies and organizations maintained and practiced good cyber hygiene.
Being aware of the need to secure our devices and systems is a must to prevent costly data and identity theft, network break-ins, and supply chain breaches.
Traditionally, training in network security awareness is ineffective.
The data speaks for itself – 95% of cybersecurity incidents are caused by human error. Organizations around the world must rethink their strategies on this issue.
Gartner suggests there are three ways to make cybersecurity programs more effective:
Step 1: Establish a vision through a multi-functional working group consisting of representatives from the entire organization.
Step 2: Define measurable, desired behaviors using outcome-driven metrics.
Step 3: Link desired behaviors to measurable business benefits. Start from measuring the root causes of cyber threats generated by humans. Eliminating them may be beneficial.
Gartner also encourages organizations to keep discussing potential dangers and modify the technologies they use to always be adapted to new, upcoming threats.
Additionally, the company recommends leaving cyber threat decisions to business units. It is because they are the ones with the most expertise in improving an organization’s security.
The Rise of Geo-Targeted Phishing Attacks
Geo-targeted phishing attacks became very popular in 2022.
Despite regular attempts by mail providers and security systems to fight geo-targeted phishing attacks, they still happen. It is expected that in the coming years, even more attacks will take place.
Hackers may target organizations and individuals through well-directed actions. They will use users’ geolocation, which will serve them to automatically create customized messages (email, SMS) or websites.
Then, they will be able to extract information or infect devices with ransomware software designed specifically for a given region.
Harnessing Machine Learning for Advanced Cybersecurity
Machine learning is a subset of artificial intelligence. It uses relatively simple algorithms created by analyzing existing data sets.
In cybersecurity, such a dataset might be data about machine or computer behavior during an attack. When analyzing this data, algorithms learn to detect potential attacks, recognize their type, and respond to them.
Each new potential source of danger may equip the algorithms with new functions they were not previously programmed for, and they may be able to adapt to changes in real time.
The same may apply to potentially dangerous files – those that a regular antivirus might not recognize as a threat, such as ransomware program files. Thanks to machine learning, the algorithm will detect such a file, and the system may handle it before it can cause any damage.
Remember that looking at past trends and data is not enough to predict future attacks.
Addressing IoT Vulnerabilities in an Increasingly Connected World
The Internet of Things refers to physical objects that are or can be connected to the Internet and can communicate with each other. The devices perform specific actions, collect information, and then analyze it locally or send it out, for example, to a cloud computing service.
Companies that make these devices use the data collected from them for analytics.
EXAMPLE: Your washing machine is connected to the Internet. The company that designed it can determine which programs you use most often and use this information to design washing machines that better meet our needs.
This is also how refrigerators can analyze what is missing and suggest what we should order. It’s the case for fitness bands with training tips come into being.
IoT is constantly evolving, and the data collected and shared by devices provide information about the behaviors, interests, and preferences of their users.
It is estimated that by 2025, the IoT industry will be worth 6.2 billion dollars.
The growing popularity of IoT devices, frequent software updates, and the huge amount of money in this sector have become some of the reasons for attacks on IoT.
In the coming years, we can expect a rise in attempts at break-ins, searching for vulnerabilities in the software or communication protocols of such devices.
An attack on the Internet of Things also gives the possibility of completely taking over the device that operates in it. It can be used for eavesdropping on everything that happens in the surroundings of the device owner in the network or can be used to steal information from the local network through it.
Hacked devices, such as cameras, can then serve as starting points for further attacks, including attacks on organizational security systems.
For many years, there was no mention of this topic in public debates. It was not until 2022 that the European Union introduced the concept of the Cyber Resilience Act, a security standard for network-connected devices.
Mitigating Supply Chain Cyber Attacks
Supply chain attacks exploit third-party tools or services to break into a target’s system or network.
In the coming years, we can expect attacks on trusted contractors, vendors, or clients through which further cybercrimes in the partner network will occur.
These will likely be attacks on existing software, inserting harmful software into what is currently being developed, or taking over user accounts to hit other companies with phishing messages.
Open source libraries in IT systems will become bigger targets for hackers.
If hackers get into a library while a company updates its software, they can enter that system.
Cyber Threats to Low-Code and No-Code Platforms
Platforms that offer low-code and no-code solutions change the way people create software.
They allow for the automation of nearly every stage of an application’s lifecycle through the quick delivery of various solutions.
The platforms do more than provide code or scripts – they also include integration systems. This setup lets companies prototype, build, and scale applications without needing complex infrastructures.
Think of such a platform as an integrator. It logs into one system, extracts data, moves it to another, performs operations, and then updates a team member on its actions.
The need for skilled programmers is high, but there aren’t enough to meet the demand. This gap, combined with a push for digital transformation in businesses, has made these platforms extremely popular.
They are mostly used for building and implementing databases, user interfaces, process design, and automation. Their main job is to cut down the time required for manual tasks.
61% of organizations have started or plan to start using low-code platforms so that business users can quickly build their applications. The main point of no-code and low-code is to reduce the need for traditional programmers. Even with little or no coding experience, a person can now create new software features.
Billions of pieces of data flow through this software as hundreds of thousands of companies around the world use it. Attacks on low-code software could let hackers access the vast information resources these organizations hold.
If hackers attack this software, they could insert harmful code into other software that users are trying to connect with.
Growing Importance of Cloud Services
Cloud computing has been very popular for years. Thanks to its versatility and relatively low entry threshold, it is gaining more supporters.
Clouds are actually a physical network of connected servers. They store data, perform computations, and offer many services that users can access via an internet connection.
It is estimated that by 2025, over 100 zettabytes of data (one zettabyte is a billion terabytes) will be stored in the cloud.
More organizations will choose cloud technologies because of advanced security solutions and defense mechanisms. Cloud solutions are not as vulnerable to ransomware attacks as standard machines, mainly because of the way backups are created.
Evolving Cybersecurity Laws and Regulations
The Gartner predicts that by the end of 2025, 30% of countries worldwide will adopt laws and regulations that will address the issue of paying ransoms demanded by hackers.
In the case of ransomware attacks, where the total amounts already reach several million dollars.
Insurance companies are starting to refuse to give compensation for unlocking hacked computers. This situation underlines the urgent need for companies to boost their cybersecurity resilience and educate their employees about cyber threats.
An HP study found that 70% of employees use their work computers for personal tasks, and nearly as many use their personal devices for work, especially when working remotely. It may increase cybersecurity risks.
In response, within the next three years, 70% of CEOs plan to foster a culture of resilience that will help their companies withstand not just cyber threats but also social and political instability.
The Need for Proactive Cybersecurity
It’s tough to catch every trend in cybersecurity since IT evolves so fast. However, this overview of predictions is meant to raise awareness and inspire a stronger focus on cybersecurity measures.
As mobile devices, IoT, social media, cloud computing, and big data analytics evolve, cybersecurity becomes increasingly crucial for individuals and businesses. Recent examples of breaches and data leaks demonstrate that attacks can occur where we least expect them, and a moment of inattention can lead to irreversible consequences, including financial loss, damaged reputations, job losses, or even multimillion-dollar lawsuits.
Businesses, organizations, startups, public institutions, and private individuals must develop and effectively implement comprehensive security strategies to avoid devastating losses from cyberattacks. Raising awareness of these threats is one essential step.
