Table of Contents
Introduction:
Regardless of predictions, complacency is not an option if you want to live and grow in 2022. Rest assured, the future of cybersecurity is bright, but it will be fraught with difficulties. 2021 was an interesting and rather terrible year for cybersecurity, as all of our anxieties about cyber-threats were realised in some form. The year 2021 was difficult because many organisations were hesitant to react to the changing security atmosphere. Every year, new cybersecurity tips for small businesses are released. There’s no denying that IT teams faced substantial hurdles in the last year, including a rapid shift to remote and hybrid labour and sophisticated cyberattacks.
The coming year will undoubtedly offer new problems, particularly in the area of cybersecurity. To make matters worse, no other industry has been as impacted by swings in buyer behaviour and budget concerns brought on by COVID-19. Remote workforce gadgets, as well as their users, have become increasingly appealing as exploitable targets.
While these changes have hastened their digital transition, SMBs are also facing greater vulnerabilities and the need to mount an adequate defence. For neglected SMBs, 2022 may bring in significant yet progressive changes. Here are five significant trends that will shape cyber security in 2022, as well as tips on how to respond to these movements and strengthen your security posture.
What are the 5 cybersecurity trends that 2022 holds?
1. Ransomware will continue to be a prevalent and most likely an evolving threat:
To begin, consider this frightening statistic: by 2021, 56 per cent of enterprises worldwide will have been victimised by a ransomware attack. Allow that to soak in for a moment. As we approach 2022, the situation does not appear to be improving, owing in part to new and growing threats, targeted, unrelenting attacks, and hefty ransoms. As these attacks become more common, they pave the path for more phishing, smishing, and other damaging breaches into your company.
To further complicate matters, ransomware thieves’ strategies are always evolving. In 2021, for example, we witnessed a hazardous new type in which hackers attempted to exfiltrate all necessary data before a corporation even realised it was under assault. As a result, your tech team’s cybersecurity strategies must evolve at the same time.
One of the most effective strategies to avoid a ransomware attack in 2022 is to update all software and deploy solutions such as two-factor or multi-factor authentication, as well as a holistic, zero-trust security strategy. Furthermore, it is vital to invest in a strong and automatic backup and recovery system to safeguard your data and prevent data loss. After all, if you have a backup of all of your data, an attacker can’t actually demand anything in exchange for a ransom.
2. The Cybersecurity Talent Shortage Will Worsen:
The industry’s cybersecurity talent gap is only going to grow worse. There were 500,000 vacant cybersecurity jobs in the United States at one time in 2021. This figure is certain to rise as ransomware, data breaches, and other cyberattacks continue to proliferate.
Businesses will find it increasingly difficult to protect their networks and data in the face of this risk. Services and specific technology partnerships will continue to help fill and preserve what is sacrosanct, but additional assistance may be on the way from an unexpected source: artificial intelligence (AI). AI has the capacity to identify malware on networks before employees notice it. Together with machine learning, these technologies can evaluate massive amounts of data faster than people, discovering stealthy issues like phishing attempts, privilege escalation, data exfiltration, and insider threat.
3. Work that is done remotely or in a hybrid setting is here to stay (Along with All of its Challenges):
Working from home has become the new standard for many individuals, with nearly as many people working remotely this year as in 2020. More than 60% of workers expect to be hybrid by 2022, with approximately 30% expecting to be entirely remote. However, there is another new normal: Attackers will continue to use remote and hybrid work settings to attack SMBs, particularly those undergoing digital transformation.
It’s unavoidable - the Internet of Things is a rapidly expanding trend that will result in more cyberthreats. Because of the rising quantity of IoT devices, we should expect even more cyberattacks in 2022. The growth of these frequently poorly protected gadgets expands the attack vectors via common items. Hackers can infiltrate your home or workplace using a variety of insecure gadgets, including security cameras, smart TVs, and DVRs.
To remain productive, connected, and safe, small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) must secure all cloud applications and SaaS solutions and prepare for personalised, targeted phishing as well as sophisticated business email compromise (BEC) assaults. Essentially, this new method of working will necessitate the development of a new set of technologies to provide secure end-to-end access, address application, cloud, and network security, and safeguard your people and data.
Consider zero-trust solutions (rather than VPN) to combat assaults, as well as securing cloud apps, establishing an email security solution, and training your personnel to recognise potential threats and act as your first line of defence.
4. The New Attack Vector is Mobile Malware:
Cybercriminals switched to mobile malware as the main attack vector as we all went to remote and hybrid work. Nearly half of the firm’s Check Point examined this year had at least one employee who downloaded a malicious mobile app! According to the 2021 Mobile Security Report, practically every company (97 per cent) has been the victim of a mobile-related attack. How do you protect your operations, your data, and your employees in the face of this? Solid endpoint protection is the best answer.
Endpoint protection software, in general, will prevent malware from infecting an endpoint device; the correct solution will also eliminate malware that does manage to evade your defences. We recognise the importance of endpoint security at this time, which is why we’ve teamed with Malwarebytes to provide comprehensive, best-in-class endpoint detection and response.
5. AI/machine learning tools are still being developed. Cybersecurity Is Changing the Game:
Machine learning (ML) and artificial intelligence (AI) have already begun to transform cybersecurity, and their influence will only increase in 2022. Organizations can now detect and respond to threats far more rapidly and effectively than ever before thanks to these tools. With AI-powered dashboards, security professionals can discover possible attacks faster than ever before. Meanwhile, machine learning technologies can detect ransomware in image files before they are accessed on a computer. Cybersecurity teams can utilise machine learning and artificial intelligence to automate attack detection, evaluate the effect of a breach, and decrease fraud.
Conclusion:
Each of these five trends will have a significant impact on cybersecurity in the coming year. Staying informed and aware of how each of these factors may affect your company can help you navigate through uncertainty while strengthening your defences. We here at Security Pilgrim are here to assist you in keeping abreast with matters of cybersecurity that will keep your business secure and robust.
