Technology

Four Cybersecurity Trends for 2022

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Cybersecurity might seem like a new problem, but it’s been around for some time. Click here to learn more about cybersecurity trends in 2022.

Cybersecurity might seem like a new problem, but it’s been around for some time. National Computer Security Day, which happens on November 30, was actually started in 1988. That’s because more than three decades ago, an attack on the predecessor to the Internet – ARPANET – hurt 10 percent of connected computers.  

That’s right. Bad actors have been trying to hack into our connected computers for as long as they’ve been connected. Unfortunately, those attacks have intensified over the years, and they’ve become more costly. In fact, the cost of cybercrimes is expected to exceed $6 trillion in 2021

Part of the problem is that the increase in remote working also created more opportunities for hackers to compromise corporate information technology infrastructures as employees started to rely more on unsecure, public networks, and personal computers to manage sensitive information.  

But an even bigger factor is the rise of criminal activity through ransomware attacks. These have proven to be a lucrative way for malicious parties to line their pockets with money paid by corporations and public institutions desperate to free up their IT systems after they become hijacked.  

And 2022 is going to become even more challenging. Some specific cybersecurity trends include: 

  • Attacks on global supply chains will increase. Supply chains consist of interconnected systems for delivering goods from manufacturers to businesses ranging from retailers to automotive dealers. Supply chain disruptions are costly and complicated to fix – so much so that the supply chain bottleneck currently hurting our global economy is expected to continue well into 2022. Bad actors are always looking for every potential vulnerability in corporate IT infrastructures, and they seek to hit businesses when they are most vulnerable. In 2020 and part of 2021, cybercriminals capitalized on the onslaught of COVID-19 to attack IT systems manage by already distracted IT departments. As businesses devote more resources to figuring how to share data with each other to end the supply chain bottleneck, cybercriminals will exploit any vulnerabilities resulting from (once again) distracted IT teams. 
  • Attacks on Internet of Things (IoT) devices will increase. IoT is an incredibly value technology. IoT is what makes refrigerators so smart that they can automatically re-order products for the home when they are running low. IoT makes it possible for essential components of an assembly line to warn a manufacturer when they are wearing down and need to be replaced before a huge disruption happens. But as IoT devices become more common in the home and at work, they create more ways for cybercriminals to hack into our lives and disrupt them. It’s only a matter of time before cybercriminals turn more focus on exploiting IoT vulnerabilities to conduct ransomware attacks.  
  • Cybersecurity will define corporate governance at the C-level. Many businesses have pushed the responsibility of cybersecurity down to the employee level. And yes, training employees to be mindful about cybersecurity is critical. But increasingly, businesses are taking ownership of cybersecurity at the C-level. In 2022, more will make effective cybersecurity management a requirement for CEOs to manage a business. They’ll make corporate data chiefs part of their strategic planning process partly because management of cybersecurity, like proper financial management controls, can make or break corporate strategy. 
  • Business will invest more into artificial intelligence (AI). AI is getting more predictive, meaning that AI is learning how to understand not only where data vulnerabilities exist now, but where they are going to happen tomorrow. AI can process more data faster and more widely than any human being can. For that reason alone, AI holds great promise to see patterns of online behavior that may indicate a potential attack about to happen. More businesses will invest in AI to spot cybersecurity threats and do something about them.  

To help businesses navigate cybersecurity, Investis Digital recently published Cybersecurity and the C-Suite. This new guide helps senior leaders learn how to take ownership of corporate cybersecurity threats such as ransomware. The report includes actionable advice on how C-level leaders can prepare their companies to fight ransomware attacks, ranging from training employees to choosing the right information technology resources required. Read the full report: Cybersecurity and the C-Suite .    

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