What to expect from Cybersecurity in 2023
Introduction
The world of cybersecurity has changed dramatically over the past few years. And it's not done changing yet. We've seen the rise of hybrid working, the explosion in machine learning, and new technologies like 5G networks – all of which can impact how we approach security. But what else is coming? Here are some predictions for what will happen to cybersecurity in 2023 and beyond.
Hybrid working, anywhere
As we move into the future, hybrid working is expected to become more prevalent. It’s a relatively new concept that refers to employees working remotely or in-house while being attached to multiple locations via technology. While this model has often been associated with freelancers and contractors, many full-time employees are now embracing hybrid working as well.
In some cases, companies may require their staff to work remotely occasionally or even more frequently than they do now. Other companies are moving towards a fully virtual workforce where employees work from home for most of the week but still come into the office for meetings or training sessions every once in awhile (or simply because it’s easier). Hybrid workers have access to all of the same benefits as their onsite counterparts including company perks such as free meals or transportation services—the only difference is that these perks are offered through technology instead of physical presence at an office building.
Hybrid working is growing in popularity because it offers a number of benefits for both employees and companies. For starters, it allows workers to be more productive since they don’t have to worry about commuting or finding child care when they work from home. This gives them more time to focus on their projects without distractions like traffic jams or childcare issues.
Automation and artificial intelligence
Automation and artificial intelligence are two of the most crucial technologies in cybersecurity, allowing you to leverage the power of big data and the cloud to spot threats faster than ever before. But while they've been around for decades, automation has only recently become more popular—and AI is still a bit more niche. Both will continue to be key components in your cyber defense strategies as we head into 2023.
For some context: Automation refers to any system that can execute tasks without human intervention—for example, if you're using a program like Tripwire or Snort on your network, those programs automate things like identifying intrusions or scanning for malicious activity. Machine learning (ML) is another type of automation; ML algorithms learn from past experiences so they don't need to be programmed by hand every time something happens. Artificial intelligence (AI) encompasses both machine learning and other types of automated processes; it's an umbrella term used when discussing any system capable of making intelligent decisions based on data inputted into its neural networks by humans through programming languages such as Python or C++ (or built-in features like Alexa).
As we head into 2023, automation will continue to be a key component in your defensive strategies. Automation is already being used by many organizations as part of their cyber defense strategies; for example, if you're using a program like Tripwire or Snort on your network, those programs automate things like identifying intrusions or scanning for malicious activity.
The Cybersecurity skills gap
The cybersecurity skills gap is a global issue, and it's only going to get worse.
The number of jobs in the cybersecurity industry continues to grow as cyber attacks become more frequent and sophisticated. Yet, there aren't enough workers to fill these positions—in fact, there's an estimated shortage of 2 million skilled workers needed by 2021. This skills gap will impact not only companies but also governments and citizens around the world as they struggle to protect themselves from cyberattacks.
Cybersecurity professionals are working hard to develop new solutions for closing this gap through training programs in colleges and universities (and even high schools), but there needs to be more done across all sectors of an organization if we want real results that benefit both businesses and individual users alike.
Rise of the Zero Trust model
Zero Trust is the latest strategy of securing data by limiting access to it. It requires that users be granted or denied access based on whether they are known and verified, rather than being given blanket access to all resources.
As with most cybersecurity trends, this is not a new idea. Zero Trust principles have been around since 2005, but are now entering mainstream consciousness as organizations begin to understand their value in protecting against threats such as phishing scams and malware infections.
The benefits of adopting a Zero Trust model include:
Reduced attack surface area: Only authorized applications and users can access valuable data, reducing risk of unauthorized access or malicious activity;
Automated threat prevention: If a user’s credentials fail to match those in system logs for instance, then the user will receive an error message before even attempting to log in; and
Improved security posture: Administrators can monitor activity across all devices using centralized logging capabilities that identify activity patterns indicative of attack attempts or insider threats (e.g., multiple failed logins from different IP addresses).
The benefits of adopting a Zero Trust model include: Reduced attack surface area: Only authorized applications and users can access valuable data, reducing risk of unauthorized access or malicious activity; Automated threat prevention: If a user’s credentials fail to match those in system logs for instance, then the user will receive an error message before even attempting to log in; and Improved security posture: Administrators can monitor activity across all devices using centralized logging capabilities that identify activity patterns indicative of attack attempts or insider threats (e.g., multiple failed logins from different IP addresses).
5G security
5G security will be a game changer. By 2023, 5G wireless technology will be ubiquitous. It will remain secure throughout its lifespan and will continue to evolve as new security threats emerge. 5G is more secure than 4G because it has a faster response time and can detect and respond to network threats more quickly, which reduces the risk of data breaches or other cyberattacks. Additionally, 5G networks are designed with built-in cybersecurity functionality that protects against unauthorized access and ensures that users have appropriate permissions before accessing certain applications within an organization's network infrastructure.
5G connectivity is also more secure than previous generations of wireless technology because it uses stronger encryption algorithms. This means that data transmission between cell towers and mobile devices is much more difficult to hack or intercept.
Securing networks, data, and devices will become a shared responsibility.
Cybersecurity is a shared responsibility. As threats become increasingly complex, the traditional security model is no longer adequate for protecting organizations from attacks. The rise of zero trust and 5G security can help you implement a new model that keeps your business safe from hackers.
The Myth of the Perimeter
Today’s threat landscape is vastly different than it was 10 years ago, when most companies relied on perimeter defense measures to secure their networks and data. In this type of setup, most employees don’t have access to any resources outside their network—in essence making it barrier-free for hackers. This approach made sense when cybersecurity was only concerned with keeping malware out of networks; however, today’s attackers are not only targeting servers but also endpoints like laptops and mobile devices. Because they work remotely or use other unsecured devices while working at home, they have access to sensitive company data long before they even step foot inside an office building! To make matters worse, modern threats such as ransomware worm through unsecured endpoints within seconds once they're introduced into one part of an organization's network. This means that if someone opens an infected attachment on their laptop during lunch break (and without realizing), all computers connected directly or indirectly to that machine will be vulnerable too—and it could take hours or days before anyone realizes there's been an attack! It's clear we need new strategies for protecting businesses against these types of attacks because traditional approaches just aren't enough anymore."
Conclusion
The challenges to cybersecurity will continue to grow in complexity. We’ll see more sophisticated attacks, more breaches and data leaks and more people affected by the consequences of these. The good news is that we have a lot of exciting technologies on the horizon that could help us address these problems, such as artificial intelligence and machine learning systems. While there will always be some vulnerabilities in our systems, we can look forward to better protecting ourselves against those who want access without permission or respect for others’ privacy
