Cyber Security 2021; we are officially in the future! It seems hard to believe that it is 52 years since man set foot on the moon. Technology has developed exponentially since then, and with it have come an endless barrage of security threats. Today we look at key trends to watch out for this year in cyber security.
Incoming Trends for 2021
Cyber-attacks more targeted towards the home| Growth in insider attacks | Rise in spear phishing & ransomware
The team here at CRIBB Cyber Security have been discussing today’s topic for the past few months. Below you will find more information on the small selection of trends listed above, and you can also dive deeper using the recommendations in our tip section.
We always keep our finger on the pulse and it is good to see others doing the same. Cyber Security threats are growing each year, so awareness is vital. If you believe that your existing security infrastructure is lacking in any way, we can help. Contact us to find out more about how we can evaluate your position and work with you to elevate it.
Top Tip
Today’s post shows that our experts are always ready to share their insights. In addition to these, here are some independent news sites you can turn to:
Threatpost.com | Techhq.com | Cyber Security Insiders
For a more personal touch you can reach us by leaving a comment below!
Domestic Cyber-attacks
2020 and the spread of the coronavirus pandemic led to an unprecedented shift towards remote working and working from home. In turn, that meant an increase in usage for the cloud and also digital communication platforms – Microsoft Teams, Zoom, Skype. Cyber Security 2021 will see a continuation of that trend, meaning the need for robust security amongst remote workers is crucial.
CRIBB’s Patrick Carolan believes that securing those employees WFH will not merely be high on the agenda, it will be imperative.
“Home workers represent a huge target for those seeking to take advantage of insufficient home routers or poorly secured personal devices. Companies need to ensure that all home workers are as secure at their home work stations as they would be in the office.”
“This year, achieving a high level of cyber security will be more difficult than ever. There is a much bigger attack surface to be exploited. Implementing security policies and frameworks in a remote environment is a massive challenge.”
Insider attacks
The continued dependence on a remote workforce plus general employee upheaval will also encourage the exploitation of insider threats. According to Forrester researchers, these account for one-quarter of data breaches. This year, they expect that to rise to one-third. Co-Founder of theICEway and Managing Director of CRIBB, Conor Byrne, concurs with this view.
“What we may see this year is cyber criminals attempting to gain employment so that they can amass sensitive IP. I’ve heard Forcepoint talking about an ‘insider-as-a-service’ model which describes exactly this. Essentially, it’ll be very tough for security teams to stop this from happening so the interview process will need to be dealt with very carefully indeed.”
Spear Phishing & Ransomware
Patrick Carolan has often said that email inboxes are perfect for spear phishing and ransomware attacks. He has also commented that these are only going to increase in number, a view shared by researchers such as WatchGuard. According to them, “cyber criminals have… started to create tools that can automate… manual aspects of spear phishing,”
Patrick agrees: “Manual phishing attempts are becoming more sophisticated but it does makes sense that automated techniques will be adopted more moving forwards. Sending tens or hundreds of emails at one time should yield a higher success rate for attackers. The only positive there is that these emails should be easier to spot.”
Conclusion
The importance of cyber security continues to grow. Having robust policies and procedures in place is vital, especially surrounding remote working. Maintaining awareness by closely monitoring the latest news and updates is also crucial. CRIBB Cyber Security will continue to bring these to you but the sources mentioned above are also worth a look. Cyber Security 2021: We’re all in this together!
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