We bet you sometimes forget about cybersecurity. It is like Windows Defender holds all your hopes and dreams; you believe it is enough. But is it?

Cybersecurity is swiftly evolving and the past year has brought forth both victories and challenges. Cyberattacks are dynamic(unfortunately) and are continuing to shape the online world, making companies look for newer and better solutions. Today, we want to look at the key highlights of cybersecurity in 2023, explore the impact of various attacks, and outline crucial trends that businesses must anticipate in 2024.

Overview

Let’s focus on some 2023 stats before we head to the upcoming trends. In 2023, nearly 70% of companies faced either the same or an increased number of cyberattacks compared to the previous year. Spooky.But fortunately, we have some good news too; one in ten companies reported a decline in cyber threats in recent months. This shows how different groups handle changing online threats.

Types ofAttacks and Their Impact

There are certain forms of cyberattacks and, in 2023, we predominantly witnessed ones rooted in

• Manipulation
• Social engineering
• Security vulnerabilities

Hackers were (are) exploiting weaknesses in infrastructure, such as outdated routers or misconfigured services like VPNs,RDP, and SSH. For the love of God – update your software. Please.

Groups of hackers with advanced skills are using ransomware and DDoS attacks, causing significant damage to reputation, financial losses, and disruptions in operations.

Do you know what BEC is? BECs are Business Email Compromise, and in 2023, we could see a notable trend in the rise of this method of attack. Hackers impersonate decision-makers to manipulate employees into making transfers or divulging sensitive data. The aftermath of successful attacks often involved ransom demands, with the emergence of the ominous ‘double extortion’ strategy, wherein cybercriminals threatened to leak stolen data to intensify the pressure on victims.

Trends inCybersecurity for 2024

We are welcoming 2024 with open arms and open heads; the cybersecurity landscape is prepared for significant shits. Let’s look at the expected trends:

1. Cyber Warfare and Hacktivism
   Expect a rise in attacks on civilian infrastructure, especially in connection with political events, elections, and major international events like the Paris Summer Olympics.
2. AI
   Artificial Intelligence is expected to grow in cybercrime-as-a-service impacting both offensive and defensive strategies in the digital world.
3. SASE and Zero Trust Principles
   Robust cybersecurity will need the set up of SASEs (Secure Access Service Edge), secure SD-WANs, and the zero trust principle.
4. Lack of Cybersecurity Professionals (Job Opportunity?)
   Chief Information Security Officers (CISOs) are becoming increasingly important on corporate boards due to the growing shortage of workers in the cybersecurity field.
5. Increased Regulation
   The cybersecurity landscape will change as a result of the creation and implementation of new rules such as EU DORA, CER,NIS2, and national KSC Law revisions.

NordVPN Predictions

Check out NordVPN's article; it is filled with useful information collected from a prominent dark web hacker forum. Based on this data, NordVPN’s research forecasts five key cybersecurity predictions for2024:

1. Surge in Photo Sharing and Hacking
   ‍Platforms like OnlyFans and Instagram will witness a rise in hacking incidents and the sharing of compromised photos.
2. AI as a Tool for Hackers
   ‍Artificial intelligence will help hackers by improving phishing emails and facilitating the spread of deepfakes used for malevolent intent.
3. Rise of Amateur Hackers
   ‍The forums show that more people are becoming interested in learning how to carry out cyberattacks, which could lead to an increase in amateur hackers in 2024.
4. Focus on Stolen Customer Data
   Discussions on the forum highlight the growing worth of stolen customer information, with particular emphasis on social network profiles, driver’s licenses, addressed, and private email addresses.
5. Biometric Authentication Challenges
   ‍Despite initial expectations, biometric authentication turns out to be vulnerable, as evidenced by a forum thread that explains how to get around verification by using a selfie.

Selected Statistics

Let’s further emphasize the seriousness of the cybersecurity setting by looking at additional statistics:

1. A cyberattack on a global IT infrastructure typically costs $4.5 million, with the manufacturing, finance, and healthcare industries suffering the biggest losses.
2. By 2025, it is anticipated that cyber operations will generate $10.5 trillion in revenues.

Challenges inCybersecurity

We are coming across several challenges that are still persisting in this field:

1. The lack of cybersecurity experts, low compensation for candidates, and high turnover rates.
2. Meeting the new requirements is crucial because the fines for not following them are just as high as or even higher than those for breaking GDPR rules. Strict compliance is necessary.

Summary: Building Cyber Resilience in 2024

So, let’s recap: you are not the only person in the world who thinks that creating and sustaining organizational resilience is challenging. Success requires specialized expertise, threat awareness, up-to-date software (please!!!), and a trained crew. To add up to that, maintaining said resilience requires constant work due to issues like staff turnover and changing rules.

Fundamentally, cybersecurity is about reducing risk via strong safeguards, education, and best practices. According toNordVPN's forecasts for 2024, there will be an increased need to be cautious against data breaches, AI-powered assaults, and the growing number of petty hackers. To protect personal data in the future year, it is advised to implement regular upgrades, multi-factor authentication (MFA), and VirtualPrivate Networks (VPNs).

Effective cybersecurity still relies heavily on readiness and resilience in the face of constantly changing digital threats.Keeping one step ahead of cyber attackers will need enterprises to adopt a proactive and adaptable approach as they prepare for the opportunities and challenges that 2024 will present.

https://www.rp.pl/biznes/art39624031-cyberbezpieczenstwo-w-2024-roku-zadbaj-o-cyberodpornosc-swojej-firmy

https://nordvpn.com/pl/blog/najwieksze-zagrozenia-w-2024-roku/

https://biznes.t-mobile.pl/pl/cyberbezpieczenstwo-nowe-zjawiska-w-2024-roku