Contending with the complex and ever-changing threats that emerge from the cybercriminal world is something that every individual and business has to do today.
As 2022 lurches into motion, taking stock of the current state of cybersecurity and staying up to date with the latest developments is sensible.
To that end, here are a few predictions about the kinds of threats that will come to prominence over the coming months.
Attacks will increase
This is a safe bet for almost any year, but it is still worth stating. There is more to gain from launching cyber attacks than ever before, and so you can expect an uptick in incursion attempts this year.
This, in turn, means that organizations need to be on the ball when it comes to detecting breaches. From making use of an access control audit report to ensure compliance with best practices to staying on top of BYOD and IoT security, there are a lot of responsibilities to uphold.
AI will be both a problem and a solution
Artificial intelligence is a technology with all sorts of applications across numerous industries, and cybersecurity is definitely one of them.
On the one hand, concerns around the potential for AI-powered malware and attacks are putting researchers on red alert. Self-learning malware could usher in a worrying new era of intelligent computer viruses that can alter themselves to evade detection.
On the other hand, machine learning is being applied to digital security solutions so that they too can grow and improve more quickly and efficiently to encompass whatever new threats they face.
Ransomware will still plague businesses
The increase in the instances of ransomware being used to siphon cash out of innocent organizations is nothing new. Yet, in 2022 it is expected to become an even more commonplace tactic used by cyber crooks to extort businesses of all sizes.
The main vulnerability exploited by ransomware campaigns is human fallibility; employees that fall for phishing emails are more likely to end up infecting mission-critical systems accidentally than any kind of direct hack.
Training people and making them aware of the risks they face and the tactics ransomware distributors use is the best solution to this burgeoning crisis.
Tougher penalties for lax security will up the ante
For some businesses, choosing how much to spend on cybersecurity measures can come down to calculating the likely fallout from an attack and working out whether it is better to take a risk rather than pay a fine if they are caught out.
Regulators could be set to harden their stance in this regard and potentially hand down larger penalties to any organization that does not adequately protect itself from cybercriminals.
This, in turn, will incentivize increased spending on IT security, which might result in some resistance at first, but should lead to a brighter future for all involved as more resources are poured into fighting hackers.
Remote work will still cause issues
The COVID-19 pandemic really let the genie out of the bottle with regards to remote work. While this is a positive step for many employees who are bored with the commute and the restrictions of office life, it results in ongoing complications for businesses from a security perspective.
Compliance is again a concern in this context, as it is one thing to have the software and hardware in place to provide protection and another to make sure all team members use it.
It will be interesting to see how the cybersecurity landscape develops throughout 2022, as these predictions by no means cover all the possible permutations for the market.
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