While everyone's thinking about goals for the New Year, ourCyber Fu Master urges you to consider your company's cybersecurity among those goals.
Without good cybersecurity in place – regularly checked and refreshed – you are one cyberattack away from losing the entire company. That's not an exaggeration.
We want you to know what to expect in the coming year, so you can prepare for it. As such, here are some predictions on what we think will happen in 2020 on the cybersecurity front.
Some are "bad" predictions...but there's some "good" predictions as well.
"BAD" PREDICTIONS:
- Cyber Cold War – We'll see more nations using cyberattacks against other nations. This is already happening; it'll get worse next year.
- Utility Strikes – A bad trend getting worse. More utilities (e.g. power plants) will suffer cyberattacks, either to gain access to their facilities or destroy their operating capacity.
- Cloud Update Infections – Cloud-based applications usually auto-update. If a cybercriminal cracks the cloud servers, the app can deliver malware infections to them.
- Even if they don't crack the server, they can mirror the look & feel of the cloud service's update emails to fool you.
- Here's one example: A ransomware infection disguised as a Windows 10 Update.
- Be aware. Check any "Update Now" emails thoroughly.
- AI on the Attack – We predict cybercriminals will use AI and machine learning as weapons. They'll aim to take over user accounts, break passwords, and infiltrate networks with the technology.
"GOOD" PREDICTIONS:
- Improvements in Healthcare Security – Healthcare organizations have suffered some of the worst cyberattacks in the past 2 years. Fortunately, it appears they're fighting back. We predict the industry as a whole will improve on its defenses.
- AI Fights Back Against AI – How do you counter AI? With AI! The cybersecurity industry has already begun employing AI-enabled tools. We're testing one now, in fact.
- Automation Helps Out – We will see more automation technology used in identity protection, application updates, etc.
- Wiser Users – Businesses and municipalities are waking up to cybersecurity reality. As 2020 continues we'll see more of them take the necessary steps to protect their companies. Will you be one of them?
Do you have a cybersecurity question you want answered? Send it in to WOOF@PlanetMagpie.com and it may show up in our next "Cyber Fu Tip."