The risk of cyberattacks rises every day for businesses. Cyber crooks are finding new ways to target businesses and the attacks could be severe for companies as such attacks could either ruin their reputation or make them lose money. In some cases, they might lose their reputation and money, as well. Below are the top seven cybersecurity predictions businesses can expect in 2023.
1. Ransomware
Ransomware isn’t something new and it is one of the most common forms of attacks carried out by cyber crooks. Ransomware attacks are growing globally and it is expected to rise in 2023, as well. Cybercriminals are more likely to adopt Artificial Intelligence technologies to carry out ransomware attacks and this could make it very difficult for cybersecurity professionals to defend.
2. The Government and businesses will take measures to eliminate ransomware
As ransomware attacks are expected to increase, the government and businesses will take steps to get rid of ransomware. Not paying a ransom is the best way to get rid of ransomware. Educating employees on ransomware attacks, encrypting sensitive information, utilizing two-factor authentication, and identifying and dealing with the root of the problem are a few things the government and businesses are likely to do to eliminate ransomware.
3. Cybercriminals Might Target Healthcare And Education Sectors
Healthcare sectors have a lot of private data and this is something that attracts hackers. It is the same with the education sector as well. Health information and the personal details of patients and students are valuable and sensitive. So healthcare firms and educational institutions will continue to be a major focus for hackers.
4. Gaps in Software Security
There are quite a few software upgrades and in most cases, IT employees are not aware of such upgrades. They fail to patch security gaps, which leaves them vulnerable to attacks. In most cases, they are unaware of the available updates and also do not know how to keep up with the new releases. By employing qualified team members to focus on patching, organizations can make sure they are not using outdated apps and software. Antivirus software is not just enough to secure your data, it is wise to have backups so that you can quickly restore it if there happens to be a data breach.
5. Identity and authentication attacks could increase
Identity and authentication attacks are likely to increase. Cybercriminals can use the credentials they steal to breach an organization. Heather Adkins, VP of security engineering, Google says, “Organizations will continue to struggle with identity- and authentication-related attacks, where relatively unsophisticated threat actors are able to purchase credentials in the underground or con their way into the organization. As a result, platform makers will be pressured to help consumers and enterprises defend against malware that steals those credentials.”
6. New phishing attacks could make 2FA useless
Advanced phishing attacks can bypass two-factor authentication security and attackers can get around this security system just by sending a phishing email. While organizations are implementing 2FA to prevent phishing attacks, hackers are also looking for ways to get around this system and steal credentials. They build lookalike login pages that accept credentials users enter; this is one method they use to bypass two-factor authentication and steal sensitive data.
7. 2023 might see an increase in deepfake attacks
Cybercriminals use artificial intelligence to create deepfakes, i.e., manipulated video, audio, images, and more. Most organizations are not aware of this new form of attack and they also fail to create awareness in their organizations about attacks of this kind. Attackers can use the deepfakes they created to ruin an organization’s reputation. They can also use this kind of attack to steal money. Deepfake attacks are expected to increase in 2023.
Conclusion
Cyber attacks are increasing day by day and experts claim that this year could be extremely challenging for security teams. It is important for organizations to be aware of the new forms of threats and educate employees on them. Attacks could be severe in the education and healthcare sectors and attackers are expected to target supply chains, as well. Organizations could lose money and their reputation also could be ruined as a result of such attacks.
