{"id":7832,"date":"2022-01-04T10:13:31","date_gmt":"2022-01-04T10:13:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/outofsite.biz\/cynance\/?p=7832"},"modified":"2022-01-04T10:13:32","modified_gmt":"2022-01-04T10:13:32","slug":"6-cybersecurity-predictions-for-2022","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/outofsite.biz\/cynance\/6-cybersecurity-predictions-for-2022\/","title":{"rendered":"More hacks, more ransomware, more need for security: 6 Cybersecurity predictions for 2022"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t<div data-elementor-type=\"wp-post\" data-elementor-id=\"7832\" class=\"elementor elementor-7832\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-45e0897e elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"45e0897e\" data-element_type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-2a13f229\" data-id=\"2a13f229\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-264884f6 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"264884f6\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<style>\/*! elementor - v3.11.5 - 14-03-2023 *\/\n.elementor-widget-text-editor.elementor-drop-cap-view-stacked .elementor-drop-cap{background-color:#818a91;color:#fff}.elementor-widget-text-editor.elementor-drop-cap-view-framed .elementor-drop-cap{color:#818a91;border:3px solid;background-color:transparent}.elementor-widget-text-editor:not(.elementor-drop-cap-view-default) .elementor-drop-cap{margin-top:8px}.elementor-widget-text-editor:not(.elementor-drop-cap-view-default) .elementor-drop-cap-letter{width:1em;height:1em}.elementor-widget-text-editor .elementor-drop-cap{float:left;text-align:center;line-height:1;font-size:50px}.elementor-widget-text-editor .elementor-drop-cap-letter{display:inline-block}<\/style>\t\t\t\t<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Now that 2022 is here, we are all waiting to see what the new year will bring. While no one has a crystal ball that can tell us what to expect, this set of cybersecurity predictions for 2022 encompass the evolution of existing threats and how organisations can keep themselves safe.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">2021 was another busy year for cybersecurity professionals, with several high profile, far ranging attacks on top of the usual business as usual level of attacks. Attacks on <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.microsoft.com\/security\/blog\/2021\/03\/02\/hafnium-targeting-exchange-servers\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Microsoft Exchange<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/outofsite.biz\/cynance\/kaseya-ransomware-attack-update\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Kaseya<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> impacted hundreds if not thousands of organisations. Ransomware on the Colonial Pipeline brought the eastern United States to a standstill, and the <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/technology\/biden-tells-putin-certain-cyber-attacks-should-be-off-limits-2021-06-16\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">US declared a cold war on cyber on Russia<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">On the other hand, there were some successes in the war against cyber crime. The cyber gang behind the <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/outofsite.biz\/cynance\/emotet-malware-is-a-gift-that-keeps-on-giving\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Emotet malware<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> was taken down in January (only to resurface again in November), and several members of the high profile REvil or Sodinikobi gang were arrested during the year. Organisations also became better at repelling attacks, including the University of Oxford who prevented criminals from damaging vaccine development.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Based on 2021 the cybersecurity predictions for 2022 look like quite a ride.<\/span><\/p><h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Two for the price of one: New ransomware techniques<\/span><\/h2><p><a href=\"https:\/\/outofsite.biz\/cynance\/kaseya-ransomware-attack-update\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ransomware<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> is going nowhere. It continues to be the most lucrative form of attack, and cyber criminals are not ready to lose the income streams. In fact, our cybersecurity predictions for 2022 suggest that ransomware will evolve even further.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Extortion methods will evolve in 2022. In 2021, double extortion attacks used exfiltration of data before encryption to allow attackers to extort a ransom even if the organisation uses their backup rather than paying for a decryptor. In 2022, we predict that several techniques will be linked together to extort ransoms.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Specifically, we expect to see wiping malware which will delete data and cripple critical systems, and distributed-denial-of-service attacks (DDoS) which aim to overwhelm IT teams, challenging them to make quick decisions to deal with attacks.\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Combining both of these techniques could be devastating for organisations. They will need to strengthen security, implementing zero trust controls, endpoint detection, advanced antivirus protection, and efficient backups to protect their organisation from ransomware.<\/span><\/p><h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Act fast: Attackers will actively hunt new vulnerabilities<\/span><\/h2><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">2021 saw an all-time high in the number of <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/us.norton.com\/internetsecurity-emerging-threats-how-do-zero-day-vulnerabilities-work.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">zero-day exploits<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, and we are expecting another record breaking year in 2022.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Zero day and unpatched vulnerabilities offer several opportunities for cyber criminals. Successful attacks such as the Hafnium attack against seven Microsoft Exchange vulnerabilities (four of which were zero days) has shown the riches on offer for attackers who mobilise quickly to discover and exploit new bugs. We expect cyber criminals to reduce the time it takes them to exploit vulnerabilities down to days or even hours.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vendors will have to work quickly to produce patches, and organisations may need to up their patching game. Once a patch is released attackers can analyse the patch to gain knowledge of where to attack. Most organisations take weeks or months to apply patches, and the longer the patch gap, the more opportunity for cyber criminals who will actively hunt for unpatched vulnerabilities. The race will truly be on to patch as quickly (and responsibly) as possible.<\/span><\/p><h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Spare a penny? Digital wallets are at the forefront<\/span><\/h2><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As adoption of <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/outofsite.biz\/cynance\/protect-customers-crypto-wallets-security-testing\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">digital wallets<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> grows, they are increasingly attractive targets for cyber attackers. Where banks and other financial institutions have improved their security features, digital wallets are seen as the weakest link.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Our cybersecurity predictions for 2022 suggest that digital wallets will become the front line. Criminal actors will actively target digital wallet holders with phishing and social engineering attacks and malware to gain access to stored crypto wallet credentials in order to drain accounts.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For digital wallet developers, the challenge in 2022 will be to continue to develop wallets that are able to <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/outofsite.biz\/cynance\/application-security\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">withstand direct attack<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. They will also need to develop authentication and transfer methods that will help users stay secure, for example by using multi factor authentication based on biometric identification.<\/span><\/p><h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Go big or go home: The new cybersecurity cold war<\/span><\/h2><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In 2021, the attacks got bigger, and the response became harder. Following the attack on <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/technology-57063636\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Colonial Pipeline<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, the US government publicly denounced Russian state support for cyber criminals, and declared that they would fight back. At the same time, the US government tightened their response against US organisations who pay ransoms following an attack.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">We predict that this cat and mouse pattern will become more prominent in 2022. State sponsored attacks will continue against significant targets, governments and agencies from the US and her allies will continue to fight against those states, and organisations of all shapes and sizes will get caught in the middle.<\/span><\/p><h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Not just up in the sky: Cloud security is real<\/span><\/h2><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As organisations undergo digital transformation, they are increasingly adopting cloud technologies. As a result, cloud and SaaS vendors are ever more important for the daily operations of millions of organisations around the world.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Cloud and SaaS vendors make attractive <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/outofsite.biz\/cynance\/us-treasury-cyber-attack-suppliers-in-the-spotlight\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">supply chain targets<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. For example, by disrupting the availability of a cloud provider, attackers can cause downtime for all the organisations who rely on them. By gaining access to a SaaS provider\u2019s systems, attackers can (and have) spread ransomware throughout their entire supply chain.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">We expect attacks against cloud vendors and SaaS providers to increase in scope and ferocity during 2022. Supply chain attacks will become more sophisticated and grow in scope. Expect more lateral movement attacks which will aim to exploit misconfigured enterprise APIs, and take advantage of integrations between SaaS products to move through the entire ecosystem, and even link supply chains together.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As a result organisations at the end of the supply chain will need to take their own responsibility for their own network architecture and <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/outofsite.biz\/cynance\/infrastructure-security\/cloud-security\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">cloud security<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> configurations.<\/span><\/p><h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The machines are taking over: The machine learning game is changing<\/span><\/h2><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Machine learning is fast becoming a game changer in cybersecurity. An ever increasing number of SaaS products use machine learning or AI to recognise patterns and strengthen their products. This includes security vendors who use machine learning in their products.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Our cybersecurity predictions for 2022 bring bad news for vendors and customers who use machine learning &#8211; we predict that cyber criminals will begin to develop ways to attack machine learning systems.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Cyber criminals may find ways to tamper with the machine learning cores on security systems, training them to ignore certain types of attack or activity. We expect that attackers will also look for loopholes to evade the machine learning tools entirely.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The lesson for organisations everywhere is to keep a human eye over the machines to ensure that you can discover attacks before it is too late.<\/span><\/p><h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Fighting back: Taking on the challenge of staying safe<\/span><\/h2><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Organisations are fighting back, and we have several predictions for 2022.<\/span><\/p><p><b>Back to basics: Ensure your security is effective<\/b><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Even in this era of constantly evolving threats, an <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/outofsite.biz\/cynance\/security-risk-and-compliance\/cybersecurity-risk-management\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">effective cybersecurity programme<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> that applies all the principles of days gone by &#8211; patching vulnerabilities, strict access controls, hardened servers, network security, and more will help organisations stay safe from attack.<\/span><\/p><p><b>Trust nobody: Zero trust is here<\/b><\/p><p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncsc.gov.uk\/blog-post\/zero-trust-architecture-design-principles\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Zero trust<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> is the principle of trusting nothing. In practical terms, users, devices, and systems are required to undergo verification every time they access the network. In zero trust the network itself is aggressively segregated, lateral movement is restricted, users are given granular access rights, and the principle of least privilege rules supreme. We predict that zero trust will be a priority for regulators, users, and organisations alike in 2022.<\/span><\/p><p><b>Who are you? Expect changes to authentication mechanisms<\/b><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Authentication mechanisms are the weakest link for many organisations and users alike. We predict that authentication will see some major updates in 2022: wider use of <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/outofsite.biz\/cynance\/secure-passwords-dont-protect-network-security\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">multi factor authentication<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> (MFA), through authenticator apps, Windows Hello, or SSO solutions; the introduction of 3FA or more; users will be encouraged to use more biometrics; and could 2022 see the end of passwords?<\/span><\/p><h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Cybersecurity predictions for 2022: Good luck to us all!<\/span><\/h2><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If the last few years have been anything to go by, 2022 promises to be unprecedented and full of new twists on old attacks. Our cybersecurity predictions for 2022 are just the tip of the iceberg, so hold on tight, and good luck.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Stay safe<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Now that 2022 is here, we are all waiting to see what the new year will bring. While no one has a crystal ball that can tell us what to expect, this set of cybersecurity predictions for 2022 encompass the evolution of existing threats and how organisations can keep themselves safe. 2021 was another busy&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10,"featured_media":7850,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[18],"tags":[63,62],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/outofsite.biz\/cynance\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7832"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/outofsite.biz\/cynance\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/outofsite.biz\/cynance\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/outofsite.biz\/cynance\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/10"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/outofsite.biz\/cynance\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7832"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/outofsite.biz\/cynance\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7832\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/outofsite.biz\/cynance\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/7850"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/outofsite.biz\/cynance\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7832"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/outofsite.biz\/cynance\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7832"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/outofsite.biz\/cynance\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7832"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}