Tech advancement has changed human life to a great extent. Most things can be done with the click of a button without going out, whether it is paying bills, shopping, consulting doctors, buying medicines, booking tickets, taking courses, etc. With all the comfort, there also arises a risk of safety and the need for digital security.
The year 2022 was a significant year concerning cyber-attacks. Though some of the cybersecurity trends will be carried over to next year, let’s have a look at the emerging trends in cybersecurity in 2022.
Top 10 Cybersecurity Threats in 2022
Information authentication, data integration, cloud protection, automation, machine learning, and artificial intelligence are the top 10 cybersecurity trends in 2022. The continuous change in cybersecurity trends comes with increased incidences of hacks, data breaches, and insider threats. Mitigating these vulnerabilities is not a big issue if you have a piece of proper knowledge in the field of Cyber Security. A well-curated Cyber Security course will help you be a master in this digital world.
1. Phishing Attacks
Phishing is a type of social engineering attack. It is used to steal crucial information like login credentials and credit card numbers. Phishing attacks have arisen to an enormous level; over 60,000 phishing sites were reported in March 2022 alone.
It occurs when an attacker, camouflaged as a trusted entity, targets a victim into opening an email or message. This type of mail generally warns you that your account is in danger or that you need to change your password immediately. Attacks like this are rising day by day, and the attackers are constantly innovating new ways to gain a hold on users’ personal financial information and money. 97% of the users cannot recognize a phishing email.
Generally, phishing activities are planned to mimic users by redirecting them to a fake website hence, it is in the interest of users to see whether the website is secured or not. Recently, SSL certificates are there to authenticate the website identity so users will not get strayed to another website. Users can check certificate details in the browser whether it is single domain SSL, wildcard SSL, multi-domain SSL, etc. all you need to do is use the best VPN for streaming toolAnother way to help against phishing attacks is to utilize a proxy server.
Another way to help against phishing attacks is to utilize a proxy server. Proxies will act as an intermediary between your device and the internet, so attackers will only be able to see the IP address of the proxy server. Your IP address will be hidden so your private information will be kept safe. So, even if you fall for a phishing attack, the risk would be heavily reduced since your data would still be hidden. Prevention is still better than cure, but there are plenty of free proxy server lists that you can utilize.
2. Remote Worker Endpoint Security
The COVID – 19 pandemic has forced businesses to operate remotely. Working from home was a new norm that brought a drastic change in the SOPs of businesses. Many companies are planning to make work from home-permanent for selected fields. With this, there is an increasing risk of cybercrime. Building a secured endpoint ecosystem has become vital in today’s scenario.
3. Artificial Intelligence (Al) & Machine Learning (ML)
Artificial intelligence and machine learning algorithms can be used against modern cyberattacks. AI can be defined as the science of making machines imitate human intelligence. ML finds patterns in the data by using mathematical algorithms and uses them to give the findings. AI and ML process a high volume of data and helps to detect suspicious activity quickly. ML can detect strange behaviour of users or systems and predict unknown threats quickly.
4. Threats to vehicles and transport infrastructure
Cybersecurity has also become vulnerable to national transportation, infrastructure, and railways. Hackers can give rise to severe economic consequences and can even put the safety of passengers at risk. The national cybersecurity centre has categorized cyber threats to transport infrastructure in category 1. The cyberattack has created an uproar in the transportation industry worldwide. With the digitalization of operational technologies, the risk of cyberattacks has increased manifold.
5. Increased Cyber Security Spending
With the skyrocketing figures for cybercrime, companies must focus more on their tech budget or cybersecurity spending. Cybercriminals took an unprecedented advantage during the COVID scenario, as most people relied on tech devices and worked remotely. Companies need to spend more time and energy training their employees about the risk associated with their remote working environment and the security measures to be taken care of. Organizations will also be required to replace current devices with more secure ones. Cybersecurity spending is expected to increase by 20% in 2021.
Besides, website security is an integral part of cyber security hence, every website must have HTTPS enabled else, it will flag a warning on the browser. A site holder should go with an SSL certificate to enable HTTPS on the website. Whether you go with domain validation type, extended validation SSL, cheap wildcard SSL certificate or any other type of SSL, all SSL certificates come with strong encryption.
6. Deepfakes
Deepfake uses artificial intelligence to create compelling images, audio, and video recording that replaces someone’s face or voice with that of someone else in a way that appears real. Deepfakes have gained a lot of attention in recent years, making it vital to be aware of the threats associated with them as a protective measure against hackers. It started to emerge on the internet in late 2017. It can create national security problems when someone makes highly realistic manipulated videos at the push of a button.
7. Mobile Malware
Nowadays, there is an increasing attack on mobile devices by hackers. It is becoming more challenging to secure mobile devices. Malicious hackers continue to develop new and more innovative methods for deceptive malware. Financial institutions have to work hard to gain customer trust and encourage them for mobile banking and similar services.
8. Insider Threats
Threats posed by individuals from within the organization such as employees (current or former), contractors, and partners associated with the company create insider threats. These individuals can misuse sensitive information of the company. Companies also face serious threats from employees or workers who unintentionally damage cybersecurity or disclose essential data. Personal negligence and poor security practices of the employees can leave loopholes that give hackers or bad guys the chance to take undue advantage.
9. 5G-to-Wi-Fi Security Vulnerabilities
5G network is rapidly coming on stream in major cities worldwide. The advancement of the network to 5G will help in better coverage and improved data speed and lead to new security risks. New features of the 5G network may not have undergone rigorous security evaluation. The data network will have many vulnerabilities and flaws in place that need to be taken care of. Securing a network and the ecosystem of devices will pose serious security challenges for experts in 2022.
10. IoT Devices
IoT (Internet of things) devices work without human intervention, making it challenging to identify the threat on time. The internet is less secure, so it makes IoT devices even less safe. It is advisable to use strong passwords and have a firm IoT policy incorporating cybersecurity as a protective measure. IoT is omnipresent, making it necessary for organizations to be aware of different IoT security threats to protect themselves from bad guys.
Conclusion
The cyberattack has the power to put you out of business if cybersecurity is not taken care of. Online security measures are of utmost importance in this scenario. Obtaining an SSL certificate for the website is gaining much popularity as it acts as a potent weapon in the fight against hackers, phishing, and fake sites. SSL certificates make the site more secure, and it allows only intended users to interpret the data.
One of the protective measures can be obtaining cheap wildcard SSL certificates. Such certificates can secure the base domain as well as multiple subdomains.