Top Cybersecurity Trends And Threats 2021

top cybersecurity trends new cybersec industry threats

The last year was eventful in terms of cybersecurity with $124 billion are spent globally on security products and services. The massive SolarWinds hack of US government databases from Russia or other forces just goes to show how crucial cyber security is in 2021 and beyond.

As our world has become connected, the coming year is going to come with own challenges. The organizations are more aware than ever about cybersecurity and its significance. Let’s take a look at the cybersecurity threats and trends that are going to shape 2021. 

Attacks Against Cryptocurrency 

The year 2020 was not particularly good for the financial institutions in terms of safety. And with Genesis, the black market for digital fingerprints along with ATM malware, the financial institutions are at risk. There have been attacks against Gram, Libra, and Ton, the popular cryptocurrencies nowadays. 

A couple years ago, Bitcoins and Altcoins were also attacked, and the cryptocurrencies launching this year are going to suffer the same fate. So, traders and players in the market are advised to be cautious because criminals are inclined toward cryptocurrencies to manipulate new platforms. 

Hazards To The Healthcare Industry In The Form Of Ransomware 

As for the healthcare industry, the past 2 years have been good years. The number of affected computers and devices reduced from 30% to 28% this year. Also, it was further reduced at the end of last year. But this does not mean that the healthcare industry is not at risk. The biggest challenge the healthcare industry has to deal with the dark web’s interest in medical records and private patient information. 

Another common attack hospitals have to deal with is ransomware attacks that have disastrous consequences. Data is hacked through phishing, a form of social engineering that messes up with your entire system. Also, as the trend of wearables and implanted devices grow, the hackers are going to test their vulnerabilities. These devices work on IoT, and these lead to the new threat of a single point of entry for hackers allowing them to attack the patients who use these devices. This calls for more advanced security measures. 

5G Implementation And Security 

5G is all set to revolutionize things. Car technology can monitor user movements, health apps collect user information and health status, and smart apps are going to collect data about how users live and work. Some of them are here already. They go by the name of monitoring apps, and their usage lets you in on all that a phone user does on his phone from his message, calls, emails, web activity, and even locations. A popular example is Xnspy. 

Installing the app on someone’s phone could give you an insight into someone’s entire life. 5G technology has created some major telecommunication weaknesses along with infrastructure risks. And the main risk is about user privacy and safety. 5G’s short-range means additional communications towers with closer proximity could boost the risk of someone collecting and tracking the exact location. Also, the large data sets the users to send will allow the service providers to have extensive access to the data that could tell them everything happening in your home via connected devices and sensors. 

All of this could be valuable on the black market. With so much data, 5G technology calls for a higher level of security to combat data breaches and theft. 

Increase In Ransomware And Malware 

We saw how ransomware attacked were targeted against particular businesses a year ago, along with government and healthcare organizations. This year, too, the main form of attack is going to be ransomware with Mobliciti reporting that since there was a 50% increase in the attacks by mobile banking malware, the trend is expected to grow this year as well. 

The hackers are getting sophisticated and using intelligence gathering on their victims so they can create maximum chaos and disruption. 

AI’s Use Will Continue Rising 

The advances have led machine learning technology to cybersecurity. Face detection, natural detection processing, and threat detection, along with many others, are driven by deep learning algorithms. AI boosts the identification processes of new threats and responses to them by blocking cyberattacks before they spread throughout the organizations. 

But as AI progresses, so are the criminals. They are using technology to develop highly advanced malware attack methods. Organizations have to opt for advanced solutions rather than depending on familiar weaknesses. 

Mobile Phones Are A Target 

This year, mobile phones are going to be a big target as many apps have become a must-install for the majority of the population. The majority of people download them regardless of the security aspects. A popular example is TikTok - developed by the Chinese that lets users create short videos. There are many security issues associated with the app, and some of them have been closed. In the U.S., the app is considered a threat to national security since the app has access to the user’s data. That topic is still under consideration but with Trump leaving office TikTok might be safe to continue operations as usual or with a US operations co-sponsor.

Employers and parents need to take a cautious approach in this regard and ensure that only safe apps are being downloaded on the devices at home and workplace. Here, using an app like Xnspy can come in handy as you can remotely access the phone and see the apps installed on it. 

Cloud Computing And Corporate Security 

Cloud services are all the rage nowadays. Corporate security is going to be a major trend this year and focus on cloud computing. Cloud computing risks are going to increase this year. Forbes reports that 83% of the organizational workload is going to make its way to cloud. Some groups offer money to company employees in exchange for personal data and records of other employees. They take the emails and passwords in bulk, sort them according to their interest, and then take out the data they can use for blackmail. 

Now, although cloud providers have the responsibility to protect the data, the user still has to keep the information secure. As employers, you must monitor employee conversations with Xnspy. Keep an eye on who they talk to and correspond with on emails so you can timely catch any suspicious or unethical activity. 

Along with this, educate your workers regarding cloud security, so resources are protected. Effective cybersecurity measures need new and scalable cloud-based architecture. 

Prepare For New Cybersecurity Threats Going Forward

This year brings along new tech trends and new threats. With technologies such as Blockchain, 5G, and others becoming an integral part of our lives, security risks have also increased. And no matter which industry you belong to, you should know about the correct measures, should your business get affected. 

The first defense against these attacks is education. Making all the technology users learn about the basics of security in the workplace and home is a must. Checking in your locations wherever you go might seem harmless but could be dangerous, especially for young children. Thankfully, organizations, both big and small, are going through a digital metamorphosis as awareness regarding cybersecurity increases. 

Cybersec Conclusion

Companies have begun to realize that an effective strategy in place to tackle cyberattacks is necessary now. This has also led to an increase in the demand for cybersecurity professionals in 2021 and the foreseeable future.

Official Bootstrap Business Blog Newest Posts From Mike Schiemer Partners And News Outlets