It is becoming more critical than ever for businesses to stay two steps ahead of emerging cybersecurity threats in today’s automated and digitally connected world. Moreover, as the cyber security landscape constantly changes, doing so is crucial, with security providers and hackers continually trying to outrun each other. As a result, many cybersecurity trends are emerging that will change how we see online security as a whole. Not to mention, the COVID-19 pandemic has made matters even worse by causing significant disruption in various industries, including cybersecurity and business. However, the primary reason for such a thing is that companies have incorporated remote working into their business practices, exposing their IT infrastructure and systems to security threats and vulnerabilities.
So, suppose you’re a business owner yourself. In that case, it is a no-brainer to stay on your toes. In fact, three steps ahead of hackers and cybercriminals who are constantly trying to steal your business’s confidential data. With that in mind, let us look at some cybersecurity trends of 2021 that will surely change the cybersecurity landscape for better or worse. So, without further ado, some of these trends are listed down below.
There is an increased need for cybersecurity professionals.
Finding and hiring experienced, well-trained cybersecurity experts has always been a challenge across every sector. However, due to the high dependence on a distributed workforce, there is an increased demand for such individuals in 2021. Not to mention, companies are constantly on the lookout to hire well-trained cybersecurity professionals who can help them with the security of corporate networks. Such a thing makes it an excellent opportunity for individuals who want to pursue a career in cybersecurity. All they need to do is find a cybersecurity program. However, if you’re wondering, how long does it take to get a cybersecurity degree? It usually requires approximately 125 credit hours and takes four years to complete. Advanced degrees, such as a master’s in cybersecurity, typically require 30-36 credits and take two years to complete.
Moreover, businesses are also turning their attention to educating their existing staff on identifying attacks themselves. That said, it will undoubtedly take a lot of time, effort, and resources to train existing staff adequately or hire new cybersecurity professionals. You can find a great solution by visiting https://www.sapphire.net/ in this regard.
Insider threats are on the rise and will continue to do so in the future.
With the COVID vaccines available to everyone, people search for accurate vaccination information. Unfortunately, such a thing has brought about a significant increase in the number of phishing scams tied to the vaccine itself. In fact, email phishing scams disguised as vaccination appointment emails along with attacks against vaccine distributors and pharmaceutical firms are on the rise.
After all, phishing attacks are more troublesome as hackers have gone one step further by honing in on a remote employee’s home network because they are an easy target. However, to counter this, businesses look at their security and identity management strategies and ensure that the right employees access the resources they require to complete their work at the right time.
There is an increase in the number of attacks on cloud services.
With the widespread and rapid implementation and utilization of remote working after the Coronavirus, the need for cloud-based infrastructure and services also increased dramatically. That said, such a cyber security trend will most likely continue to grow as more and more companies adopt cloud-based technologies in 2021 and beyond.
While cloud services provide businesses with numerous advantages such as reduced operational costs, increased process efficiency, and scalability, they are still prone to cyber threats. As a result, companies need to check their cloud technologies for any vulnerabilities that hackers can leverage. For instance, misconfigured cloud technologies led to around 4.41 million dollars in losses. Moreover, the cost of breach saw a rise to 267,469 dollars when businesses migrated to the cloud. In the end, the main takeaway is to implement measures to avoid security threats and issues when you finally decide to move to the cloud.
AI is on the rise.
Machine learning and Artificial Intelligence are constantly evolving and growing in capability and sophistication. As a result, businesses will continue to adopt this technology in 2021 and beyond as part of their cybersecurity strategies. In fact, Artificial Intelligence is constantly being used in developing automated security systems that require little to no human intervention. Due to this, analysis of large quantities of risk data is being done at a quicker pace. Moreover, this is beneficial to both medium and small businesses with under-resourced security teams dealing with significant amounts of data on a day-to-day basis.
While artificial intelligence is a perfect threat detection tool for businesses everywhere, this tech’s increased usage and evolution go both ways. For instance, cybercriminals utilize Artificial Intelligence to automate their hacks, turning to model-stealing and data-poisoning techniques to do so. That said, businesses shouldn’t bypass the opportunity to use AI in their favor. In fact, according to research, companies that utilized AI saved an average of 3.58 million dollars in 2020 alone. So, if you haven’t done it already, now is the time to implement Artificial Intelligence-based security measures. Doing so will allow you to streamline your threat detection and prevention efforts and save million so dollars if a data breach ever occurs.
New ransomware threats are constantly coming forward.
Ransomware is probably amongst the most common cybersecurity threats to any business’s data. And this threat is on the rise in 2021. Ransomware attacks plague businesses with economic blows due to the costs associated with recovering from such attacks. Moreover, the sophistication of ransomware attacks is also growing with time, with more emphasis being put on extortion tactics.
It usually involves a hacker stealing a business’s data, encrypting it so that it becomes unusable. After that, they use said information to blackmail companies, threatening to release information and demand ransom. In the end, this threat’s burden is significantly more, considering that sensitive data is in the line here. While most businesses rely on VPNs to ensure access across corporate networks, these VPNs prove inadequate protection in 2021.
Conclusion.
The fact is that technology is constantly changing how we perceive online security as a phenomenon. After all, the term disruption describes the experience of businesses amid COVID-19; no one knew of the damages it could do to their business and cybersecurity efforts and systems. That said, consider the cyber security trends mentioned above to ensure that you remain prepared for the upcoming wave of issues.
I am Jones Smith and I am here to share my experience and expertise in writing. I’ve been writing articles for different publications for more than 6 years. I have a varied range of interests and that’s why I love blogging about different topics. In my opinion, blogging is a lot like acting, and I consider writing blog posts as an acting job. I am an entrepreneur by heart and there is nothing big or small when it comes to starting a business.