Businesses anticipate what lies ahead in 2022 after a challenging year in 2021. Cybercriminals have benefited greatly from the new world that individuals have found themselves in since the global pandemic hit in 2020.
The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated the adoption of digital tools in the workplace and at home. As a result of these advancements in digitalization, cyber accidents are becoming more expensive, often, and harmful.
So, what can businesses expect in terms of cybersecurity in 2022, and what can they do to prepare?
Ransomware is becoming a bigger concern
According to the UK National Cyber Security Center, ransomware attacks increased threefold in the first quarter of 2021 compared to the same period in 2019. According to PwC research, 61% of technology executives predict this to increase in 2022. Businesses can once again blame the pandemic and the increase in the number of activities conducted online and in digital surroundings.
Ransomware infects devices with a virus that encrypts files and threatens to delete them unless a ransom is settled, generally in the form of untraceable cryptography. Alternatively, the software virus may threaten to make the data public, exposing the company to massive fines.
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Ransomware is often distributed through phishing attacks, in which workers are duped into providing personal information or clicking a link that helps download ransomware software (also known as malware) onto a computer. Direct infection via USB devices by those who have physical access to machines has been more widespread in recent years.
Increase in the adoption of zero-trust architecture
“Trust but verify” is no longer a choice. The network no longer ends at the office walls in today’s distributed work and cloud computing environments. It’s all over the place. A zero-trust environment is built on the foundations of strong identity management, endpoint protection, encryption, and constant monitoring.
As employees shifted to working remotely and IT teams attempted to make network resources available beyond the office boundaries, the pandemic provided new chances for bad actors to gain access to networks. Organizations need to move fast to develop access control policies, authentication, and least-privileged environments that will protect critical data assets. Embracing a zero-trust framework is an expedition, and there is no sole solution.
Also Read: How to Make Your Security Operations Center Future-Ready
Security as a Service (SaaS) provides much-needed assistance
Many businesses have realized they require assistance due to the complexity of current IT environments and the threat posed by ransomware and malware. They are increasingly turning to the cloud for security-as-a-service solutions rather than depending on their own security technologies. A managed services provider (MSP) or a managed security services provider (MSSP) are frequently used to deliver these solutions.
An MSP can frequently provide a larger team of technical professionals with a broader and more diverse set of product and process knowledge, as well as possibly more up-to-date product and process knowledge. It’s critical to ensure that phishing and spear-phishing attempts are blocked before they reach inboxes, especially as attackers get more sophisticated.
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