3 Cybersecurity Trends For 2022 And How To Stay Ahead Of The Threat
We are now in the midst of a new era: The Age of Digital Transformation. That all-important transformation has placed cybersecurity at the forefront of every organization’s agenda – regardless of industrial sector or vertical.
However, as you begin your digital transformation journey, you may be unsure where to begin and how to effectively move your organization forward when it comes to cybersecurity.
It seems like everyone is talking about cybersecurity, with each new revelation seemingly worse than the last. Yet this is just the latest entry in a long-term cyber-attack trend that has grown over the years.
From spear-phishing to wire fraud, we are experiencing an abundance of cyberattacks and breaches across sectors. That’s why it’s important to understand what is fueling this current offensive from cybercriminals and how you can get ahead of the increasing threats.
Whether it’s a food delivery app that lets you order your favorite meal, an online storefront for a local boutique, or your wedding planning website, there are endless applications that provide value to society.
But with the rising threat of cyber-attacks and data breaches, how can you trust the technology keeping your brand’s data safe?
If you think that cybersecurity is a complicated topic, don’t worry. We’ve got the basics covered. Here are five cybersecurity themes to look out for in 2022 and what you can do to protect your business from the perils of tomorrow:
Check on your people!
People are often the problem. Employees can contribute to, or exacerbate, data breaches.
You might remember the old “broken window policy.” It stated that if there was a broken window in an abandoned building, people would be less inclined to commit crimes there. This is because they’d feel like they could get away with it.
Apply this to cybersecurity too: if you make it look harder to get past your defenses, attackers are much less likely to try — even if your tech is not up to scratch.
Are people really your biggest cybersecurity threat though? We’re not so sure about that. Threat actors like phishing, ransomware and espionage are all automated to some extent. But, people are typically the weakest link in any cybersecurity program or system.
And it makes sense because, just as there are good and bad people (get it, people?), there are also good and bad or malicious threats.
Where there is no solution to the problem, there are problems to the solution. This is a platitude, but it has its justification. A lot of the tasks and efforts we need to take in order to achieve something may very likely come with a number of obstacles to overcome and problems that arise, due to which often it’s not so important whether you have solved the ultimate goal, as much as how effectively you have managed yours.
Why do people hack systems? Because cybercrime pays big time!
The cyber security threat landscape is constantly evolving. Cybercriminals are finding new ways to exploit vulnerabilities and hack systems. To counter cybercriminals, companies are hiring top-notch cybersecurity experts. However, the war on cybercrime is a never-ending battle; what these cybersecurity experts manage to safeguard, hackers will try to breach again.
Money is one of the biggest motivations in the cybercrime industry. Threat actors are now using the Internet to conduct a crime, whether it’s ransomware, extortion, or other forms of fraud. Meanwhile, corporate insiders, who have access to customer data, can be tempted to profit by selling that information to outside parties.
To combat the threat of cybercrime, companies are increasingly turning to artificial intelligence (AI) solutions.
Given this emerging threat landscape, companies will need to develop a defensive posture that reduces the cybercriminal’s monetary motivation. The future of cybersecurity will focus on data protection in the cloud, where the cybercriminal is less likely to target valuable assets due to lower payouts. As companies transfer their records to the cloud, they should demand extra layers of security.
Cybersecurity costs are on the rise and will continue to do so over the coming years.
Every year, companies spend millions – if not billions – of their hard-earned money to secure their digital assets. Unfortunately, the average cost of a data breach has been on the rise. Cybersecurity threats are getting more and more sophisticated each year. It’s important that businesses take this into account when trying to protect their data, processes, and customers.
In 2022, organizations will face increasing risk as cybercriminals target employees who routinely work from home or travel to certain locations. Organizations can mitigate these risks through the implementation of new technologies and policies that limit unsecure digital communications.
Though the total number of data breaches and successful ransomware attacks has increased in recent years, this is largely due to a growth in information technology use. As more systems and data are connected, there are more weaknesses to be exploited by cyber-criminals. While the threat is certainly real, doing nothing is not an option. Establishing effective cybersecurity policies and processes today will protect your organization from the threats of tomorrow.
It’s also imperative that businesses put real effort and time into securing their digital infrastructure. There’s no time to waste – start thinking about your data protection now if you don’t already have an adequate security plan in place.
Takeaway: With these strategies in mind, you can take your first steps toward building a strong cybersecurity strategy at your business and staying ahead of the next wave of threats.
As businesses embrace digital innovation, the risks have never been higher. Of course, it’s important to recognize that some of these security incidents are inevitable, but there are measures you can take to help protect your business from harm.
By taking a proactive, long-term approach to security and implementing best practices for handling data like encryption and multi-factor authentication, you can defend against numerous threats targeting both the cloud and on-premise environments.
Cybersecurity will remain as much a priority for companies in the year ahead as it has been in the past decade. But we’re confident that there will be plenty of innovative solutions to help solve some of these problems.
Cyberattacks can be devastating. Thankfully, companies are taking a more proactive approach to combat these attacks. But even as cybercriminals get smarter, so too will cybersecurity solutions. Speak with a managed IT service provider at www.telligens.com to get started on your company’s cybersecurity plan for the new year.
