It is an unfortunate reality that, as 2024 continues, cybercriminals will launch new and more sophisticated attacks as they try to outpace cybersecurity professionals. As a result, both individuals and organizations must strive to stay abreast of new developments in the digital threatscape to ensure they aren’t caught unawares. Let’s take a look at some of the most worrying cybersecurity concerns for 2024 and get a better understanding of the risks and how to mitigate them.
Where are the new cybersecurity concerns coming from?
Developments in technology and society have both played a part in shaping the cybersecurity concerns of 2024. Technology and its applications have created both new tools for cybercriminals to use, such as AI, and new opportunities for them to exploit, such as the increased adoption of cloud computing. Social trends, such as the growing popularity of remote and hybrid workplaces, also create additional points of vulnerability for cybercriminals, or at least, put additional strain on cybersecurity.
What cybersecurity issues should you look out for?
As a result of the above-mentioned factors, the most notable cybersecurity concerns of 2024 will include:
Cutting-edge social engineering scams
Social engineering scams have evolved from correspondence and confidence scams of the past. Their modern incarnation, email phishing scams, will continue to be a primary cybersecurity concern, especially for individuals. According to a study by Atlas VPN, individuals made up 31% of the targets for social engineering attacks between the latter half of 2022 and the first half of 2023.
More alarming is the rise of AI use in social engineering scams. Because live, real-time communication is harder to see through than spam email, cybercriminals are utilizing AI chatbots as an easy way to convince victims to give them login credentials or other sensitive information. Be on the lookout for chatbots on seemingly legitimate websites that ask for personal data or request that you download and install unfamiliar software, as no chatbot for an authentic entity would request such things.
Cloud security issues
The cloud has provided new ways for businesses to secure their data while keeping it accessible, but it also comes with risks. Though new security features for cloud apps and infrastructure help protect against new kinds of cyberattack, they also foster a sense of complacency among workforces. Too many employees believe that the cloud is somehow unassailable and that they do not need to do anything besides activate the software to be safe.
Unfortunately, the cloud is not an impenetrable fortress, and since the rise of mass remote working, in some ways, it is less safe than before. Users are connecting from across the globe, while businesses collaborate more through tools like APIs, connecting their networks in ways they might not predict. This puts businesses at risk of misconfigured permissions, poorly managed access controls, and unanticipated vulnerabilities in cloud infrastructure, all of which can expose sensitive data.
The best approach to prevent such issues is to have cybersecurity and cloud infrastructure specialists regularly audit your systems. With professional perspectives examining your cloud setup and all the connected apps and users, you’ll be able to discover vulnerabilities and weaknesses before they become genuine problems.
New malware and ransomware
Cybercriminals are also constantly leveraging advancements in programming to create new iterations of old malware. For example, ransomware 2.0 both encrypts a target’s data and creates a copy that the hackers threaten to release publicly. The unauthorized disclosure of such proprietary and confidential data can mean the loss of competitive advantage and customer trust, which further motivates targets to comply with the ransomers.
Defending against every new virus and ransomware program can feel frustrating and futile, but the alternative is a devastating attack that costs staggering amounts of time and money to recover from. Thankfully, you can delegate the tasks of keeping up to date on emerging attacks and research new ways to counter them by partnering with a reliable managed services provider.
Mobile device and remote work risks
With the increase in dispersed workforces that require mobile devices, there are more potential points of attack than ever. Implementing multifactor authentication for your remote workers is a good start, but it does not sufficiently address the risks posed by externally connected devices.
Fortunately, there are affordable and widely available tools to mitigate these risks, with the most essential being mobile device management (MDM). MDM solutions enable you to monitor every smartphone, tablet, and laptop connected to your network and, if the device is stolen or compromised, wipe all sensitive data remotely.
Prepare your Tampa Bay organization’s IT for 2024 by speaking with a predictiveIT expert. Contact us today.
