It’s no secret that the pandemic has accelerated digital transformation for almost every field, and there doesn’t seem to be any signs of it slowing down. But what does an increasingly advancing and hyper-connected cyber world mean for an organization’s security? As our technology grows more sophisticated, cyber-attacks continue to rise, so make sure your organization has the best protection against what’s coming. We predict the biggest threats and security challenges for the new year in this article to help you develop a more resilient, forward-thinking security strategy for 2022.
Cybersecurity Trends for 2022
If you’re a business owner, pay close attention to these cyber security trends when you start to consider your new security strategy for the coming year:
1- Cybersecurity Threats on your Cloud Storage and Cloud Data
Although cybercriminals will continue to use their classic methods, such as phishing emails, unsecured secret usernames and passwords, and exploiting software flaws, they will also explore modern technologies like Java, Adobe Flash, and WebLogic to gain access to your data. If you use any of these applications at work, be sure to talk to a managed IT group about making extra security barriers for these applications on your work devices such as a two-factor authentication program or putting up a spam filter on your email.
Cybercriminals are also starting to learn how to mimic the processes of a cyber security program known as DevOps which is used to guarantee application security at the earliest stages in the app development lifecycle. This process is known as the “shift left” approach.
Cybercriminals mimic it by going to the source of an enterprise’s infrastructure, whether that’s an app or another program used by the company to store sensitive data, to hack into applications the company is still developing and hasn’t even released yet by sneakily implanting their own codes to retrieve that data. Think of it as creating a virus with an incubation period that goes undetected until it’s too late to expel it. Managed IT groups expect to see more malicious hackers compromising DevOps tools and pipelines to target supply chains, Kubernetes environments, and infrastructure as code deployments.
Since site developers’ tokens and passwords hold the key to an organization’s operations, using their credentials helps attackers stay under the radar while penetrating multiple layers of an enterprise’s network, so make sure your managed IT group has your computer system security practices up to date.
2- Continued Surge in Supply Chain Company Cyber-Attacks
As ongoing economic shortages and disruptions continue, there will be opportunities for aggressive actors to strong-arm targeted supply chain companies for big payouts. Meaning that Supply chain attacks will be especially prevalent in 2022. Managed IT groups predict that access-as-a-service (AaaS) brokers will take a special interest in gaining residence over compromised supply chains they’ve been given unauthorized access to and selling it to the highest bidder.
The main way managed IT groups suspect that they will do this is through an increasingly popular hacking process known as the quadruple extortion model. This is when AaaS brokers hold the victim’s critical data, threaten to leak and publicize the breach, and also threaten to target their customers’ data by attacking the victim company’s supply chain or partner vendors. Managed IT groups know of several effective software systems they can use to help protect your company from supply chain management attacks, and/or to help keep them from spreading even further.
3- Growing Use of Ransomware Attacks
Perhaps one of the most covered security issues of 2021, ransomware wreaked havoc across businesses of all sizes. Large franchises were targeted for lucrative payouts, while small and medium-sized businesses were exploited by ransomware as a service (RaaS) groups that would sell their ransomware to third party hackers to use, similar to AaaS brokers. It’s suspected that data center workloads will be the main source of vulnerability for ransomware hackers to attach, especially since more employees are working from home on less secure servers.
Managed IT groups predict two trends appearing as ransomware hacks become more popular. First, modern ransomware will become increasingly targeted and prominent among hackers which will further allow the technology they use to evolve. This will lead ransomware operators to begin using more sophisticated extortion tactics, like forcibly removing data to weaponize it against your company. Be sure to talk to a managed IT group about how you can protect your employees’ work devices from ransomware as these types of cybersecurity threats increase in the coming year. A DaaS policy, for example, is a great tool to help make sure your employees can stay protected at home since it allows managed IT groups to pre-install sophisticated cybersecurity software on the device before employees take them home to use for work.
4- Continued Practices of Compromising Smart Car Information
The automotive industry will also see an uptick in targeted cyber-attacks as well, as hackers move to the goldmine of data delivered by smart cars via cameras, lasers, and other sensors. Forbes predicted the demand for smart car information will be valued at around $450-$750 billion by 2030.
If your company uses, produces, or works on smart cars then you should make sure that you have managed IT services to help make sure that your clients’ data stays protected from these growing types of cyberattacks. Here are some of the best preventative measures you can make yourself, your employees, and your customers aware of:
- Deactivate previous user access to the vehicle
- Install the latest software and firmware updates
- Always lock your vehicle
- Report any problems associated with car hacking at once
- Do not install anything or download apps that have not been approved by the automaker
- Deactivate unused services
- Secure your Wi-Fi
- Have a trusted mechanic routinely inspect your vehicle
5- Zero Day Vulnerabilities Exploits Expected to Increase
A zero-day vulnerability is a type of exploit hackers use. These vulnerabilities happen when an unknown software tool that’s designed to take advantage of a flaw in a computer system, typically for malicious purposes such as installing malware, and can create complicated problems well before anyone realizes something is wrong with their system.
Increased media attention and big payouts will motivate cybercriminals to launch an unprecedented number of zero-day exploits, surpassing the record-setting number in 2021. However, security leaders still need to look out for older, known vulnerabilities. There are more sophisticated types of cyber-attacks being developed by hackers, but don’t forget that old vulnerabilities are still traded and bought in underground markets, as enterprises often struggle to keep up with tracking how and when these cyber-attacks occur.
In 2022, managed IT groups expect to see aggressive actors continuing to take advantage of the growing “patch gaps” within enterprises as they only plan for more modern cyber-attacks and leave their old methods behind. When updating your cybersecurity methods for your business in the new year, do not forget to reinforce your previously set methods as well—a solid foundation is key.
Elemental Technology Solutions—Managed IT Services that Protect your Business
At Elemental Technology Solutions, we offer infrastructure services to businesses of all sizes to help protect them against the growing threat of sophisticated cyber security attacks, such as by implementing advanced firewalls, intrusion prevention systems, and email filtering software. That way, you can still focus on your top priority: providing for your customers. Our staff has a solid background in dental, medical, and financial IT solutions as well as prompt and affordable service to help you keep your business running at its full potential. Find out what we can do for your team today by visiting us online.
