The cybersecurity landscape is shifting rapidly, with AI-fuelled attacks, evolving malware, and cloud vulnerabilities becoming increasingly hard to manage. Nazy Fouladirad explores the key threats businesses face today, from Internet of Things risks to critical staffing shortages, and why proactive, intelligent defence is the only way for businesses stay ahead.
With every year that passes, there are a wide range of new digital threats that businesses in all industries need to track and defend themselves against. Unfortunately, the speed at which these threats evolve often makes it difficult for companies to have the right security measures in place at the right time.
Understanding how the current cybersecurity landscape is evolving is crucial
Of course, the worst thing a business can do is simply wait for these threats to materialise and then react to them. This keeps them one step behind and can significantly increase their likelihood of experiencing a cyberattack. To effectively mitigate risk and minimise damage in the event of a cyberbreach or other security-related incident, understanding how the current cybersecurity landscape is evolving is crucial.
Below, we’ll cover some ongoing cybersecurity shifts and trends that have been forming this year and how businesses should be responding to them.
AI-driven attacks and security defence initiatives
Most businesses have already begun relying more heavily on AI-driven systems and tools to help automate various workflows and improve their overall operational efficiency. Because of AI’s ability to analyse incredibly large datasets with both speed and precision, there are many different positive impacts the technology can have in business environments.
While AI has no doubt brought a lot of advantages to modern organisations, those advantages are also shared with cybercriminals. Malicious attackers can now leverage that same automation and efficiency to create more sophisticated attack methods at scale. This includes phishing schemes supported by convincing deepfake audio and video feeds and highly complex malware coding that’s able to bypass security measures more effectively.
The good news is that this attack method can be neutralised to some degree as more organisations make use of more intelligent AI-driven security tools. These solutions are able to monitor business networks 24/7 and analyse user behaviour in real-time, while detecting potential signs of a breach and initiating automated security response measures.
Dangerous evolutions of malware
Ransomware has been one of the most devastating forms of malware for some time now. But while most businesses have a basic understanding of how these forms of attack work, bad actors have become increasingly advanced and dangerous over time.
When ransomware first started becoming a popular form of cyberattack, criminals often cast a wide net over large areas to try to catch as many victims as possible. However, today’s cybercriminals are becoming much more selective and calculated in their attack strategies.
Alongside this selectivity, more advanced strains of malware have been designed to target high-value victims such as hospitals, energy companies, and even government agencies. Because of the critical nature of the services these organisations provide, attackers are much more likely to receive ransom payments and see a positive return on their efforts.
To add to these issues, cybercriminal groups now offer Ransomware-as-a-Service (RaaS) packages that essentially rent out various tools and infrastructure on the dark web, allowing even new hackers to carry out large-scale, debilitating attacks on businesses.
Compromising cloud-based environments
Cloud adoption remains a common choice for businesses as they modernise their operations, leveraging the scalability and cost-effectiveness it offers. However, with this flexibility and “always on” digital format, there are also significantly more risks that businesses face.
Unfortunately, the more digital applications and services that businesses subscribe to, the more entry points to connected business networks that need to be adequately secured. Cybercriminals are always looking for even the smallest gaps in configurations or security settings that can allow them to gain entry. Many times, a simple intrusion on an isolated system or database is all they need to spread their attacks laterally across an entire company network.
Due to these risks, it’s vital for businesses to be extra vigilant when working with third party cloud providers that provide mission-critical operational functions. Third-party risk management procedures ensure businesses do the due diligence necessary before signing on new partners, helping them to minimise their risk exposures and better protect their sensitive data, regardless of where it’s accessed and stored.
Internet of Thing infrastructure threats
With Internet of Things (IoT) sensors and devices being more commonly used in both personal and professional settings, there is increased awareness being placed on the potential dangers that can come with them if they’re not properly secured. Since IoT devices are designed to operate 24/7 while being connected to various systems and networks, they have become another common target for cybercriminals.
Even if the devices themselves don’t hold any sensitive information, their connectivity on company networks presents a risk. If devices are not secured both physically and digitally, they can be hijacked by criminals looking to gain certain levels of control when monitoring the movement of data.
Another common strategy for cybercriminals is gaining control over multiple devices at once, allowing them to create their own botnet that can carry out different tasks, such as Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks on both the companies that own them and others.
Continuous shortages in cybersecurity staffing
The demand for qualified cybersecurity professionals has been at an all-time high in recent years. This has left organisations struggling to keep pace with modern threats without leaning on outside professionals.
Businesses that aren’t able to adapt effectively to these changes due to staffing shortages and a lack of security expertise can quickly put their organisations in harm’s way, while not having a clear path in place for ongoing industry compliance.
Maintain relevancy in your cybersecurity planning
Cyber threats never rest, and neither can your defences. The key to maintaining your business now and moving forward is to stay aware of how the security landscape is shifting and ensure your tools and strategies evolve accordingly.
Nazy Fouladirad is President and COO of Tevora
