5 Emerging Trends In Cyber Security
Cyber security is a fast-moving industry, and the cyber threat landscape is ever-evolving.
Cyber threat actors are becoming increasingly sophisticated, particularly as technology advances.
As such, trends and threats are emerging rapidly, and businesses must adapt to find innovative solutions to combat them and protect their assets.
Emerging trends in cyber security include, but are not limited to:
- The rise of artificial intelligence (AI)
- Cyber security outcome-driven metrics
- An increase in cloud services and cloud security threats
- A rise in targeted ransomware attacks
- Supply chain attacks
1. The Rise Of Artificial Intelligence (AI)
The first trend in cyber security is the continued rise of Artificial Intelligence (AI) as a disruptive technology.
Organisations are turning to AI and machine learning (ML) to hone their security infrastructure. AI and ML are revolutionising threat detection and response, allowing businesses to analyse immense amounts of data to identify security breaches.
Although AI allows businesses to bolster their threat detection systems, ‘all types of cyber threat actors are already using AI to varying degrees’.
As such, cyber criminals are taking advantage of technological advances to automate attacks using model-stealing techniques.
Security leaders must also be increasingly aware of the evolution of generative AI, such as ChatGPT and fast-evolving alternatives, which many security experts believe to be the tip of the iceberg.
While AI has the ability to enhance cyber security, as AI and machine learning show more advancements, their role in cyber security threats will likely grow.
2. Cyber Security Outcome-Driven Metrics
Another trend is a greater reliance on cyber security outcome-driven metrics to bolster cyber security strategies.
Outcome-driven cyber security metrics measure the impact of security efforts on organisational goals and can include Mean Time to Detect (MTTD) and Mean Time to Respond (MTTR), amongst many others.
According to Gartner, outcome-driven cyber security metrics are increasingly being adopted and offer a ‘direct line of sight to the operational outcomes of investment and the level of protection delivered in a business context’.
Outcome-driven metrics are crucial in providing insights into your cyber security posture and creating a justifiable cyber security investment strategy.
By determining what to measure, adopting outcome-driven metrics, and gathering and analysing the right data, organisations can better protect themselves from cyber threats.
3. An Increase In Cloud Services & Cloud Security Threats
Cloud-based services remain a vulnerable cyber security risk.
The adoption of remote working following the disruption of 2020 increased the demand for cloud services and infrastructure for communication and collaboration, which many companies still rely on today.
That said, cloud services are regularly a target for cyber attacks, and misconfigured cloud settings are a large cause of data breaches, unauthorised access, and more.
Continuous monitoring and regular updates are crucial to mitigate risks and safeguard confidential data stored in cloud services.
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4. A Rise In Targeted Ransomware Attacks
Although ransomware has been around for decades, it’s a growing threat worthy of note.
According to the National Cyber Security Centre, ‘AI is expected to heighten the global ransomware threat’. Ransomware attackers are becoming increasingly sophisticated in their exploits, finding new ways to pressure organisations to pay.
Considering that globally, 72.7% of all organisations fell prey to a ransomware attack in 2023, the rise of ransomware cannot be ignored.
How To Prevent Ransomware Attacks
Organisations must adopt a multi-layered and proactive approach to ransomware defence to prevent ransomware attacks.
This includes employing robust backup solutions paired with measures such as threat hunting to mitigate risk.
Moreover, a larger emphasis must be placed on security awareness training, emboldening team members to make more informed decisions.
We can expect to see an increase in ransomware attacks on businesses that are not cyber-secure in the near future.
5. Supply Chain Attacks
Supply chain attacks are an escalating trend in the cyber security industry.
Threat actors are exploiting vulnerabilities in third-party supply chain partners and vendors to infiltrate networks and exfiltrate data.
Gartner projects that ‘45% of global organisations will experience a supply chain attack by 2025’, which is three times higher than in 2021.
To address this threat, organisations must prioritise supply chain risk management, implement strict security protocols throughout the supply chain, and conduct thorough vendor assessments.
By implementing proactive security measures, organisations can stay ahead of these trends and strengthen their cyber security defences.
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