In this highly connected world, cybersecurity threats are inevitable. With more devices connecting to the internet, and the daily conducts of our lives slowly shifting into the digital space, people with ill intentions can find new ways to exploit vulnerabilities and carry out cyber-attacks. Fortunately, there is something we can do to protect ourselves, and that is understanding what the future of cybersecurity holds.
Here is a list of key cybersecurity predictions to look out for in 2020:
The integrity of the 2020 US elections will be questioned
Cyber Scout believes that there are good reasons for people to question the integrity and security of the US elections. These include insecure voting machines that would not pass even the simplest audit check, as well as machines that leave no paper trail and hence cannot be counterchecked. Remesh Ramachandran of Entrepreneur believes that hackers will most likely leverage social media and other cyber operations to misinform voters and influence their voting behavior.
Social engineering will continue to increase
Social engineering, or the malicious activities that trick users into making security mistakes and giving away data, will continue to be the largest threat this year. An article by Forbes mentioned that cyber-attacks will become even more complex while the packaging of Ransomware-as-a-Service will continue to increase. Businesses, especially those that don’t have enough resources to afford sufficient security talent, must brace themselves for cyber-attacks according to Information Age. It is no longer just an option; rather, it has become a necessity for every organization to evolve and employ new techniques that could heighten cybersecurity.
Integrated Risk Management will become more important
The growing threat of attacks casts a big shadow over business financials, reputation, and overall viability creating a need for aligning security priorities with the overall corporate vision and goals to protect critical digital assets and systems. Integrated Risk Management (IRM) allows organizations to make better informed, more strategic business decisions. Every organization needs to continue to evolve in how they approach risk. 2020 will see more and more CEOs expecting their risk management strategy to align with organizational goals and objectives. IRM will become a focus for tying programs and activities to something meaningful for the business.
Increased demand for cybersecurity experts
According to a survey by ESG, 53% of organizations are in the midst of a cybersecurity shortage. With so many top-level breaches happening daily, no company can afford to put cybersecurity on the back burner. The solution, of course, is to expand the talent pool by hiring more experts or giving proper training to employees who will be able to understand the latest threats. Maryville University’s discussion on cybersecurity underlines the many skills that are in-demand—from digital forensics and cyber law, to database design and cloud security. And because there aren’t nearly enough professionals to meet the demand, cybersecurity experts are predicted to become one of the highest-paid workers in the industry, even more than IT workers. As new internet-based technologies continue to enhance efficiency and connectivity, they unintentionally proliferate cyber threats and risks. That being said, we need experts who can help us make sense of and combat this widespread problem.
AI will become a double-edged sword
AI is slowly becoming a staple technology for many businesses because it streamlines functions and advances strategic objectives. An article by Tech Republic argued that the deepening integration of artificial intelligence (AI) and security, which we will see this 2020, can pave the way for a self-healing and self-hardening network that can promise “unbreachability”. But this technology can also be the same one that hackers will use to improve cyber-attacks. It is predicted that AI will be utilized by hackers as a way to scan vulnerabilities, automate phishing attacks, and even conduct big-scale social engineering attacks that will proliferate the spread of “fake news.”
With every technological advancement comes a unique way for some people to take advantage of others. As such, we are left with no choice but to continuously adapt. This is why more awareness is important and must be done through programs like the National Cybersecurity Awareness Month.
Article specially contributed to lynxgrc.com
Contributed by: JBeeland