Top Cybersecurity Trends to Watch That Could Impact Your Business

Cyberattacks no longer remain a question of ‘if’; they now simply become ‘when.’ Unfortunately, it’s just a matter of time until your corporate or private information gets hacked. While conventional antivirus software or firewall is an excellent start to prevent cyberattacks, they may not be enough.

Large organizations and governments have adopted advanced techniques and security systems. Some of them are the newest additions to the cyber force arsenal, while the others–are well-known techniques. In this article, we’re breaking down the 5 top trends in cybersecurity that will remain in the next five years. Let’s take a look. 

Which Security Threats Are Trending?

Privacy and Security Concerns In IoT and 5G Networks

IoT (Internet of Things) and 5G are promising technologies that are aimed to make your life easier. Both work to deliver enhanced speed and responsiveness for your wireless networks. 

5G technology was released and made available to users and devices gradually. In the beginning, not all devices supported 5G. Now, 5G supports many devices, including smart home devices and electric vehicles.

Research showed a need to make 5G-based IoT networks and systems more secure. VPNs currently provide a viable solution to protect devices connected to the internet. VPN is an encrypted connection over the Internet from a device to a network. 

A VPN can help you change your location while encrypting your data simultaneously. Here’s a helpful guide on changing your VPN location so you can browse securely without revealing your location. Using a VPN is an effective method to secure your device. It hides your sensitive information from snoopers and allows you to receive and send data using encryption (encoded information).          

Risks and Vulnerabilities In Cloud Computing 

Cloud computing is a relatively new form of technology adopted by IT industries. Cloud computing uses remote servers to store, manage, and process data. Some of the biggest names in tech—including Microsoft and Google—provide this service. However, this recent innovative technology has several cyber vulnerabilities and threats. 

As cloud services are available from anywhere, it can result in cyberattacks due to human negligence. Simply, sharing passwords can lead to a leak and, as a result–a data breach. To avoid that, companies are preparing and imposing suitable security policies. This will remain a trend for the next five years, if not more. 

Governments Will Develop More Cybersecurity Measures Than Ever

Cybersecurity is not just limited to IT industries; governments worldwide have also shifted to technology. Technology provides new ways for government agencies to work, interact with the audience, and store information. At the same time, protecting an extensive network from cyberattacks isn’t a piece of the cake. Managing and securing large networks put tremendous pressure on federal agencies to protect the nation’s precious assets, like personal information. 

Government agencies are preparing and implementing cybersecurity solutions to protect data at every stage of their IT infrastructure. For instance, some governments established dedicated cybersecurity departments to secure official systems and information. The federal agencies will continue to develop better security policies in the coming years.

Rapidly Growing Ransomware

There can be various motives behind cyberattacks. However, the most common is money in the form of ransom. Ransomware is relatively easy to perform and involves malicious software to infect a computer or a network. This type of cyberattack typically seizes the system while making it unusable, and in return, cybercriminals demand ransom to bring back the functionality. 

This isn’t a new form of cyberattack but a growing one. In recent years, we have seen the highest number of malware attacks when almost 10.5 billion ransomware attacks were reported globally, according to Statista. There’s no doubt that it’ll continue to grow in the future.

Electric Vehicles Will Be Vulnerable To Cyberattacks

Programmed or electric vehicles are widely used due to fuel-related issues. So far, the automotive industry is using automated software that provides exceptional features and seamless communication with vehicle parts. 

Moreover, self-driving and autonomous cars are making their way into the market. Such vehicles are also Bluetooth and WiFi enabled. 

It means that your electric car is vulnerable and exposed to cyberattacks. With more use of automated vehicles, cyberattacks will be expected to rise in the coming years. As software mechanisms are pretty complex in automatic cars, it’s essential to have strict cybersecurity solutions to avoid casualties.

The Rise of Mobile Phone Security Threats

Undoubtedly, mobile phones are the most commonly used internet access. This also makes phones a potential prospect for cybercriminals. Mobile phones are exposed to cyber threats by connecting to public WiFi networks, switching between apps, or using remote collaboration tools. 

Attacking a mobile phone is also relatively easy. And now, with the emergence of 5G technology, security issues and potential vulnerabilities related to mobile phones are on the rise. 

There isn’t a single method to protect your phone from hackers. IT experts are merging software with hardware-based solutions to develop appropriate security tools for mobile phones.

The Growing Security Advancement Counteracting These Threats

Utilizing Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning For Cybersolutions 

Every year, cyberattacks are getting more sophisticated and organized. Businesses and organizations are now implementing artificial intelligence and machine learning techniques to tackle modern cyberattacks. 

The world is shifting towards game-changing AI technologies to forecast cyberattacks and protect the IT infrastructure. Before that, no single technology was proven effective against cyber criminals. The newly developed AI and ML-based methods provide new tools to fight threat actors. These include smart home security systems, self-monitoring surveillance cameras, credit card fraud detection, etc.  

AI technology is comparatively more efficient and dynamic than conventional security methods, which makes the systems, networks, and devices more secure. At the Beijing Internet Conference, an AI Expert and ex-vice president of tech giants like Apple, Microsoft, and Google, Dr. Kai-Fu Lee, said, “I believe (Artificial Intelligence) is going to change the world more than anything in the history of humanity. More than electricity.”

With this potential, AI will continue to help companies understand and fight cyberattacks in the next five years.

Threat Exposure Management

Organizations need to prioritize managing and mitigating cyber threats. This includes implementing proactive measures to identify and address vulnerabilities before they can be exploited.

These measures include technical controls, such as firewalls and antivirus software; non-technical ones, like encrypting data at rest and using strong passwords; and training employees on social engineering risks. As more businesses adopt cloud computing and connect their devices to the Internet, they must protect their most valuable assets — customer data.

Identity Fabric

With the increase in demand for digital transformation, there has been a growing emphasis on identity management systems and protecting sensitive data. Organizations need to know what their users are doing with the information they hold

Using identity fabric allows organizations to establish a unified and secure identity management system across different platforms and environments. This helps to ensure better control and protection of sensitive data and resources.

Organizations comply with regulations like GDPR that require them to protect customer data by identifying who has access. This can be difficult if no central method of managing access rights across all platforms exists. Identity fabric provides a single source of truth for all user identity information across applications, services, clouds, and devices so that users can be more easily identified when necessary (e.g., when there is a security incident). This makes it easier for organizations to meet regulatory compliance requirements while improving overall user experience through better access rights management.

Immunity

Organizations must focus on building cyber-immune systems that detect and respond to threats in real-time. This involves leveraging AI, machine learning, and automation technologies to enhance threat detection and response capabilities.

For example, using AI to detect threats can help organizations identify abnormal or suspicious behavior by comparing normal user behavior patterns against historical data. Organizations also need to respond quickly and effectively when a threat is detected. Automated responses should include methods for disabling access to specific systems or processes, isolating suspect devices from the rest of the network until they are thoroughly investigated, and restoring normal operations once the investigation has concluded.

Cybersecurity Validation

As cyber threats become more sophisticated, organizations need to validate the effectiveness of their security measures. Regular security testing and evaluation can help identify vulnerabilities—and ensure that other defenses are working properly. To validate the effectiveness of your security measures, it's crucial that you conduct a thorough risk assessment. This will allow you to identify all potential risks from internal and external threats and human error.

After completing your risk assessment, you can prioritize which vulnerabilities must be addressed first. Then, after identifying your organization's most pressing vulnerabilities—such as ransomware or public-facing applications with easily guessed passwords —you'll want to address them by implementing appropriate security controls such as multifactor authentication and IP whitelisting. Many methods for controlling access to computer systems are available today, including firewalls, encryption algorithms, and intrusion detection systems.

However, not all security controls are created equal—some might be better suited for addressing certain types of threats than others. For example, suppose your organization has been experiencing a lot of brute force attacks over HTTP than HTTPS traffic. In that case, an IDS might be more effective at stopping these attacks than an IPS would be at blocking them because it can identify malicious HTTP requests before they reach their destination server by checking for unusual behavior patterns like IP addresses or domains.

Cybersecurity Platform Consolidation

With the increasing complexity of cybersecurity technologies and solutions, organizations should consider consolidating their cybersecurity platforms. This can improve efficiency, reduce costs, and provide better visibility and control over security operations.

A consolidated platform enables organizations to implement more advanced features into their security infrastructure, such as automated threat intelligence sharing between partners or third parties. Consolidating also makes it easier for organizations to maintain a consistent set of tools across all devices and locations, which helps them ensure that their data is protected.

Security Operating Model Transformation

Organizations must evolve their security operating models to keep up with the changing, proactively manage, and mitigate a more proactive and risk-based approach to security. The move from a reactive to a proactive stance on security is essential in today's digital economy. Organizations can rely on traditional risk management, detection, and response techniques with so many threats. Instead, they must shift to a more proactive approach, including prevention and detection tools.

Integrate security into the DevOps process. As DevOps becomes an integral part of most companies' strategies, there is an increased focus on security within development teams. Instead of creating new security processes and tools, it involves integrating existing ones into development workflows. Thus, developers can be trained to use the tools effectively without disrupting their other work.

Keep Learning About Impactful Cybersecurity Trends

Cybercrime is one of the fastest-growing threats in the world, and while cyberattacks are on the rise—cybersecurity is here to help you protect your personal and business data. Cybersecurity experts are working hard to address the latest cyber threat trends, many of which we have seen emerging in recent years.

Understanding these trends is critical for business owners to stay ahead of the competition and keep customers safe from cyber threats. These trends are only the beginning: there will be many more cyber attacks in the future, but with these security measures implemented, you'll be able to handle them.

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