2021 Cyber Security Technologies
In 2020 the Coronavirus has driven a trend toward remote work for many industries has made cyber security a top priority for many organisations. The global pandemic has accelerated the pre-existing shift toward remote work, where employees operate beyond the protection of the corporate firewall.In 2021 we can confidently predict that cyber criminals will find new and innovative ways to attack individuals, their homes and devices, in order to find a path to your trusted corporate network. It seems inevitable that hackers will exploit vulnerabilities found in the gaps between people, their devices, and the corporate network.
The events of 2020 have certainly demonstrated the risks of trying to accurately predict upcoming events. However, it might be useful to to evaluate future trends in security and so how did the virus affect these predictions. For example, has the pandemic also accelerated existing trends or has it altered the direction of technological innovation? These include:-
- An increased focus on robust cyber security due to the potential for high financial returns and disruption of critical infrastructure, new capabilities, tactics and threats will continue to emerge and require constant vigilance.
- AI will be increasingly used by cyber criminals, as much as in any sector, strengthening their ability to find and exploit vulnerabilities.
- Deep fakes becoming even more sophisticated and realistic, potentially calling into doubt video surveillance evidence.
Traditionally, cyber security has been based on a ‘perimeter’ model, where the network is protected by a single, impenetrable wall made up of firewalls, air-gaps, software-defined networks and other technologies. But this model is at risk, as a single breach can result in the entire network being compromised. As a conequence, the move to zero-trust networks will accelerate, where the security profile for each device and application is independently evaluated.
The pandemic made organisations more vulnerable, making 2020 a boom year for ransomware attacks in terms of increased volume. Furthermore, attackers have improved their tactics, improving the implementation of their encryption schemes. Rather than simply encrypt critical data, some criminals now steal sensitive data and threaten to release it if the ransom is not paid.
Machine Learning is now broadly available in surveillance technology,and using this capabilities in edge devices can assist in identifying objects and reducing false positives. As a result, in 2021 security experts will be able to move towards a more proactive, interventionist way of working, rather than continuous manual monitoring. In particular:-
- There will be huge security impacts in the coming year from the move to work from home (WFH) fueled by COVID-19. More attacks will occur on home computers and networks, with bad actors even using home offices as criminal hubs by taking advantage of unpatched systems and architecture weaknesses.
- The rush to cloud-everything will cause many security holes, challenges, misconfigurations and outages.
- More growth in the security industry. Our numbers of new products and new year mergers and acquisitions will cause network complexity issues and integration problems and overwhelm cyber teams.
- Identity and multi-factor authentication (MFA) will take center stage as passwords (finally) start to go away in a tipping-point year.
- Many new high-profile Internet of Thing (IoT) hacks, some which will make headline news.
- Ransomware will get worse and worse, with new twists, data stealing prior to encryption, malware packaging with other threats and very specific targeting of organisations.
- 5G vulnerabilities will become headline news as the technology grows.
- Advanced Persistent Threats (APT) attacks will be widely available from criminal networks. The dark web will allow criminals to buy access into more sensitive corporate networks.
- Mobile devices, including smartphones, will be attacked in new ways, including app stores.
AS always, the best way to stay on top of potential threats in cyberspace is to keep a close eye on the latest cyber security news and trends.
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