Home 4 cyber security concerns for the new year

4 cyber security concerns for the new year

Jan 03 — In recent years, cyber attacks have proliferated, evolved and disrupted organizations worldwide. The year 2022 is considered the worst year on record for ransomware attacks, which were 80% more frequent than in the year prior. In the first half of the year alone, there over 270,000 new malware variants emerged, and data shows that cyber attacks occurred every 44 seconds throughout each day. In 2023, cyber threats are poised to result in further digital disruptions. Organizations and employees may wish to take particular care in reference to the following…

1. Ransomware attacks. Last year, ransomware led to outages across multiple hospital systems, temporarily closed schools in parts of the United States, led the nation of Costa Rica to declare a state of emergency, and cost companies millions of dollars.

While legislation, security initiatives and best practice recommendations have come a long way, the issue of ransomware requires further thought and action on the part of leaders at all levels.

Preventing, defending against, and limiting the impact of ransomware is critical for the continuity and success of your business.

2. Spyware. The market for spyware is booming, and the New York Times goes so far as to say that it has spiraled out of control. Alarm around spyware heightened following the controversy around the embattled spyware firm known as NSO Group.

The “zero-click” technology in NSO’s spyware means that the tools can operate remotely, can give the owner access to everything on a target’s mobile phone, can secretly record the phone’s owner, and can track an owner’s movements.

While commercial spyware has been used by intelligence groups for decades, recent discoveries indicate that espionage software has been abused by authoritarian regimes, and democracies alike. The Carnegie Endowment for International Peace has documented use of spyware by 73 different nations.

3. Labor shortage. The cyber security labor shortage is an acute, worldwide problem. In the past year, the number of unfilled cyber security jobs across the globe increased to 3.4 million. For every 100 cyber security job listings, there are only 65 cyber security workers.

Numerous efforts on the part of governments and organizations are in-place to address the issue, but filling the talent pipeline efficiently will be tough. As the threat landscape continues to expand, we will need to become more creative in terms of talent development, talent acquisition, and talent retention strategies.

4. Critical sector attacks. In the last few years, critical infrastructure sectors have encountered a rising number of cyber threats. These types of attacks represent one of the most significant risks to human health and economies worldwide. The consequences could be devastating.

Via the development of new partnerships and agencies, government officials have advanced efforts to protect critical infrastructure sectors, but more work is needed.

For more cyber security insights, please see CyberTalk.org’s past coverage. Lastly, to receive cutting-edge cyber security news, exclusive interviews, expert analyses and security resources, please sign up for the CyberTalk.org newsletter.