Whether it is the never-ending list of compliance requirements to follow or the increasing pile of enterprise data being generated, the cybersecurity demands of an organization seem to grow every year. The best way to make sure your organization is up-to-date on its defense strategy is to keep up with the latest trends in the cyber space.
Here are seven trends every organization must watch for in 2023.
There is no end in sight to ransomware attacks. According to Cybersecurity Ventures, ransomware is predicted to cost $265 billion annually by 2031. The past few years have also seen a rapid increase in the number of ransomware strains; there are now 130. Ransomware has entered cloud environments as well. Malware or phishing emails are a popular choice of attack vectors for ransom-cloud attackers, who target cloud-based mail servers like Office 365 with popular methods such as file sync piggybacking. Here, the attacker sends a phishing mail with an attachment, which when downloaded initiates the installation of ransomware in the user's system. This ransomware presents itself as a harmless pop-up to the user. When clicked, the ransomware disseminates itself, giving the threat actor access to the network. When the user initiates a file sync interaction with the cloud, the ransomware will 'piggyback' on the file sync service and help the threat actor infiltrate the cloud environment.
Internet of things (IoT) threats occur when attackers scan for vulnerabilities in devices and try to connect with non-standard ports. According to the MITRE ATT&CK framework, in the non-standard port technique, the attacker may either try to establish connections through ports that are not commonly used or muddle with the protocol to bypass standard ports. In a basic network structure, the attack surface is restricted to the common entry points to enterprise systems, whereas in the case of an IoT network, the attack surface increases, which leads to a higher number of vulnerabilities. Internet of medical things (IoMT), or IoT in healthcare, consist of devices that can connect with IT systems in healthcare organizations. These can be either sensor-based or remote patient monitoring devices like wearables. The increasing use of these devices among patients opens up a wide-range of vulnerabilities and entry points that criminals can use to gain access to patient data. This makes monitoring these endpoints 24/7 an absolute priority for all organizations.
The X-Force Threat Intelligence Index 2022 found that at least 62% of organizations worldwide faced a supply chain attack this year. Here, attackers enter enterprise networks through vulnerabilities or compromised devices present in the network of a third-party or partner who is also part of the value chain or supply chain. While high-profile attacks have got companies more aware and vigilant than before, cybercriminals are armed with more advanced tools and techniques to overcome security measures and best practices. It is vital that enterprises look at more proactive approaches that help them observe and consistently analyze user behavior to detect suspicious patterns or accesses.
Operational technology consists of the software or hardware mechanisms in place which monitor and detect change in industrial equipment, systems, and processes. Industrial control systems (ICS) are one of the main components of OT and are the new targets of cyber criminals. Here, the main source of worry is not just data security but actual physical damage. Let's take the following example from cybersecurity expert Chris Qhubeka. If a criminal gains access to the water system in the UK, which uses lead pipe infrastructure, they can manipulate the chemical balance in the water to make it more acidic and have a nationwide impact. Organizations need mechanisms in place to ascertain such anomalies and respond immediately to curtail their effect.
Mobile malware is malicious software designed to target all kinds of mobile devices like smartphones, tablets, and wearables. Mobile malware cyberattacks have risen by 500% during the first few months of 2022, and Android devices are the more common targets. As mobile phones have become increasingly important, making it an easy target for attackers since the spoofs are harder to spot. Malicious apps and websites, mobile ransomware, phishing, Man-in-the-Middle (MitM) attacks, advanced jail breaking and rooting techniques, and device and OS exploits are the major threats concerning mobile devices. Enterprise mobile security solutions and extensive employee training programs will teach employees device security and aid in staying ahead of attackers.
So far, we explored the trending threats and attacks to be on the lookout for in 2023. The following are a couple of trending proactive security measures that companies can consider adopting in order to safeguard their security environment in the future.
Zero Trust is a philosophy, not a product or technology. The core principle of Zero Trust is “never trust, always verify.” Zero Trust will keep companies secure from cyber-attacks through identity-centric business and architectural security solutions. Identity and access management, safeguarding the endpoints in the network, securing the network by performing micro segmentation, and applying threat protection to help prevent security threats and attacks are the core practices of a Zero Trust network. Zero Trust is an effective way to reduce data loss and prevent data breaches, enabling business users to interact with any application from any device in any environment securely.
Security orchestration, automation and response (SOAR) solutions enable organizations to collect inputs monitored by the security operations team. SOAR capabilities can automatically gather indicators of compromises (IoCs) from external threat intelligence platforms, perform advanced threat analytics, and assign reputation scores based on severity, supporting the investigation process. It helps the analyst make informed decisions with more context on the threat. SOAR helps get a better overall picture of the security landscape inside the network and out by fetching information from external emerging threat intelligence feeds, endpoint security software, and other third-party sources. The core of a SOAR solution focuses on ingesting alerts, automating threat responses, and resolving security incidents through insights with advanced threat analytics. Implementing SOAR technology helps significantly strengthen your security posture, which is important in the increasingly turbulent cybersecurity landscape.
Cybersecurity threats have become pervasive and continue to upend every facet of the digital realm. It’s always better to be safe than sorry—and that is why you need a SIEM solution to keep your IT environment secure from cyber threats and breaches. Log360, a unified SIEM with DLP, UEBA, CASB, and SOAR functionalities, offers a convenient, affordable solution for security analytics and threat remediation across on-premises and cloud resources. To avoid cyberattacks, organizations should always be one step ahead of attackers. This means knowing all the vulnerabilities and loopholes in your IT infrastructure so you can patch them before attackers exploit them. A comprehensive SIEM solution helps you be fully aware of what’s happening in your IT infrastructure, alerts you of any potential threats, and ensures that your IT infrastructure is secure.
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