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Cybersecurity issues have been all over the news in 2021. Even though sites and organizations are generally doing more and more to battle cyber threats, 2022 isn’t going to be any calmer in this regard.
In the second quarter of 2021-22 alone, charitable organizations have reported over 100 data breaches to the ICO. That doesn’t mean that charities are especially vulnerable to cybersecurity threats.
If you are running a hobby blog, personal portfolio, or an eCommerce website, or any other web platform of your own, you need to be ready to combat cyber attacks in 2022. Here’s what you need to know when it comes to cybersecurity trends in 2022.
Intelligence Gathering as a Top Cybersecurity Trend in 2022
Some nation-states have been using drones for intelligence gathering for a while. But, to date, most security concerns around drones have been of a more physical nature. That might change in 2022. Soon, attackers may start focusing more on the data drones gather and they may try to steal that data and exploit it for corporate espionage and intelligence gathering.
Goldman Sacks predicts that civil governments and businesses will spend $13 billion on drones between 2021 and 2022. We need to start treating these devices as any other IoT device that is capable of gathering sensitive data.
Cloud Security Issues
Protecting critical infrastructure and sensitive data requires a new approach to cybersecurity as companies are increasingly moving data, infrastructure, and business processes to the cloud. We can expect cloud-based threats to grow in 2022. Companies will need to ensure real-time threat intelligence if they want to be able to maintain control of critical data.
Both small and large organizations run the risk of major data breaches if they don’t secure and configure data buckets. There’s also the possibility of end-users adding unauthorized cloud services.
When it comes to large web application infrastructures, companies are finding out that manual security management no longer works. If you haven’t given it any thought until now, it’s time to reconsider your approach to web application security.
No More Mixed Content That Uses HTTP
It is high time to make the full transition from HTTP to HTTPS if you haven’t already done it. Without the green padlock in the corner of the URL field of your website, your site is vulnerable. Not to mention that your SEO efforts are also negatively impacted if you haven’t made the switch to HTTPS.
Okay, let’s take a step back. HTTP stands for Hypertext Transfer Protocol. It’s used for transferring data over the internet. The problem is, HTTP is a bit outdated. If your site uses HTTP, anyone can intercept the text in the request and monitor.
That’s why almost every reliable and reputable site has made the switch to HTTPS. The S stands for “secure”. Basically, the main difference is that data on HTTPS is encrypted using SSL. SSL stands for Secure Sockets Layer. It’s another protocol that works in conjunction with HTTPS to transfer data safely. So, since it’s all encrypted, malicious actors can’t see the text.
Now, even though most credible businesses have made the switch to HTTPS, their sites still may include some content that uses HTTP. This is also known as mixed content.
It negatively affects the user experience and poses a security risk. If you have mixed content on your site, it can jeopardize your business site as a whole, and not just the security of your site. Google Chrome plans to start blocking mixed content sites as of January 2020.
Mobile Devices and Cybersecurity
The amount of business data stored on mobile devices, as well as the number of employees using these devices, continues to rise. Currently, mobile devices are not a major cybersecurity risk, but that could all change very soon.
The use of mobile devices is constantly on the rise, so we can expect more data breaches related to mobile device use in the near future. Every business has another endpoint to secure with every new device that gains access to company systems.
AI against AI
AI has brought machine learning tech into cybersecurity, as well as all other market segments and products. Deep learning is being used for threat detection, natural language processing, and face detection.
But, cybercriminals have started to weaponize AI to develop sophisticated malware. So, rather than relying on attack signatures and known vulnerability, businesses will need to deploy advanced solutions to battle weaponized AI .
Cybersecurity Awareness
The good news is—the world is becoming increasingly aware of the importance of cybersecurity, and that trend is on the rise. More and more small businesses are realizing the importance of having a proper cyber incident response plan as well as an effective cybersecurity strategy plan. Such things are not a luxury anymore, but a necessity.
Organizations that are lagging behind need to rethink cybersecurity as the way a company manages cybersecurity solutions and threats will have an even bigger impact on their reputation in the future. We can expect cybersecurity to gain a permanent place in the software development lifecycle.
One More Year of Constant Phishing Threats
Phishing attacks will remain an effective method of crypto-jacking (cryptocurrency mining), eliciting fraudulent payments, distributing malware, as well as stealing identities and credentials. Phishing threats won’t go away anytime soon. It’s safe to say that ransomware threats won’t go away soon either. International cyber criminals will continue to use and perfect both methods and use them as a solid source of income.
Conclusion
Cybersecurity will gain in importance in the following year. To protect themselves against threats, organizations need to invest more funds into vulnerability management and in-depth security, as well as proper employee cybersecurity training.
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