Cybersecurity Trends in 2023

Cybercrime attacks are becoming more sophisticated as new technological innovations are brought to market. Artificial intelligence is one of the most prominent technological innovations to impact cybercrime, and will continue to be a major concern for individuals, businesses and governments. Here are some of the key cybersecurity trends impacted by AI to watch out for in 2023. These trends are a continuation of those discussed in The Topic 10 Cybersecurity Mistakes in 2023.

Artificial Intelligence in Cybersecurity

Artificial Intelligence (“AI”) presents unprecedented dangers to cybersecurity, but it can also be used to defend against them. IT departments will have to integrate new tools and knowledge based on AI, as traditional methods will prove inadequate. This can be easily seen by the increasing number of cybercrime as a service (“CaaS”) offerings in the dark web marketplaces that make use of AI. The only way to defend against it is to implement defense systems that incorporate AI, as its ability to churn through large datasets and security permutations cannot be matched by direct human intervention.¹

The Rise of Cloud Security

As more companies move their data and services to the cloud, cloud security will continue to be of major concern. Some falsely believe that once production is moved to the cloud, it is the cloud providers’ responsibility to protect against attacks. However, this is not true, as it presents the cloud providers with huge liabilities. It is the company’s responsibility to integrate security solutions for their cloud assets by making use of tools like conditional access and virtual firewalls that act as security demarcation points.

The Growing Threat of Ransomware

Ransomware attacks are increasing in number and this year shows no signs of slowing down. Malicious actors make use of ransomware to seize a company’s digital assets and then demand payment in order to release back to the company. Ransomware attacks can cause irreparable damage to a company, depending on what and how much data is affected. Attacks continually grow more sophisticated, and defending against these attacks is of utmost importance, as they are arguably the most destructive to a company’s stability and reputation.

The Importance of Cybersecurity Awareness and Education

Staff that is untrained in cybersecurity practices is a liability to any organization. In 2023, as in recent years, companies need to invest in educating and making staff aware of cybersecurity risks that are inherent to technologies used on a daily basis. Implementing strong passwords and multi-factor authentication (“MFA”), keeping software up-to-date and being aware of suspicious email exchanges can go a long way in preventing attacks.

The Emergence of Zero Trust Security

Zero Trust is a holistic approach to network security that incorporates several different principles and technologies. Traditional IT network security trusts anyone and anything inside the network. A Zero Trust architecture trusts no one and nothing. Zero Trust security requires strict identity verification for every person and device trying to access resources on a private network, regardless of whether they are sitting within or outside of the network perimeter.

In conclusion, defending against cyberattacks will continue to be a major area of concern in 2023. Existing cyberattack methods will evolve, and new methods will appear on the scene with advances in AI. As the cloud becomes the de facto destination for setting up production, it will become one of the major areas of focus and innovation in terms of security. Additionally, Zero Trust security will become more widespread as companies seek to improve their security in the face of ever evolving cyberattacks.

¹https://www.stormshield.com/news/what-challenges-does-cybersecurity-face-in-2023/