Industry executives and experts share their predictions for 2022. Read them in this 14th annual VMblog.com series exclusive.
The Cybersecurity Forecast for 2022: "Winter is Coming"
By Michael Davis, Chief
Architect, Open Systems
If
the cyber threat landscape of 2021 was gloomy, the coming year is shaping up to
be even more turbulent. So, buckle up because there's a storm ahead and the
captain has turned on the seat belt sign - 2022 is going to be a bumpy ride.
Here
are a few predictions of what 2022 may have in store for us:
-
Attackers will increasingly employ Artificial
Intelligence (AI) to evade detection. AI and Machine Learning (ML) have taken
the security market by storm over the past 5 years as cybersecurity companies
realized the potential of the technologies. Unfortunately, cybercriminals
likewise recognize their power, and are now poised to take advantage of AI themselves
in 2022. It's likely that bad actors will use AI to attack the models within
security software using adversarial techniques, and then put those outputs to
use in malware in order to evade detection.
- 2022
will also see further SolarWinds-style attacks, with bad actors targeting
IT resellers and technology service providers as a way to access the IT
systems of their downstream customers. Though attackers may employ new
approaches and technologies in 2022, it's very likely they will continue
their efforts to steal login credentials through simple - but effective -
tactics like password spraying and phishing, and adding malicious code to
the resellers and service providers' software to create backdoors to access
downstream customers' systems.
- The
shortage of seasoned, top-tier cybersecurity professionals will continue as
stress-related burnout causes many to leave the field. Though colleges are
producing graduates in greater numbers, the reality is they lack the on-the-job
experience to adequately replace veteran professionals, regardless of how sharp
and eager as they are.
Despite
these dire predictions, there are reasons to be optimistic about the outlook
for 2022:
- Enterprises will
increasingly abandon the practice of simply buying more tools, recognizing that
a patchwork of point security products actually increases their vulnerability
to attacks. With 40 or more tools from multiple vendors - many of which are
redundant or overlapping - the security teams at most enterprises act more like
systems integrators struggling to keep tools properly configured and
integrated. However, using so many tools is inherently complex, and typically
results in tools being misconfigured, creating coverage gaps attackers can
exploit.
- To better protect
themselves from SolarWinds-type attacks, companies will review the security precautions implemented by their critical IT
resellers and technology service providers and have them take appropriate
actions. These include requiring their resellers and service providers to use
two-factor authentication and other basic security measures.
- Enterprises
will also look to partner with service providers to improve their security
postures. Managed Detection and Response (MDR) services in particular will be
increasingly adopted as they provide 24/7 monitoring to identify breaches early
combined with immediate containment efforts. MDR is also a good option for
those companies that lack sufficient in-house security capabilities.
- To
address the burnout of top cyber talent, enterprises will more diligently
tackle workload and workplace issues to improve morale and job satisfaction.
Many companies may also engage MDR, or other service providers that employ
cybersecurity experts, to continuously monitor their environment allowing their
in-house teams to turn to more strategic items aimed at reducing the potential
attack surface.
Clearly, cybercriminals will continue to "up
their game" in 2022 with new approaches and increasingly sophisticated tools,
but enterprises can do the same. While there are no perfect defenses, companies
- working with security partners - have many options for bolstering their
security postures to prevent or limit the impact of breaches, as well as
improving resilience so they can quickly recover from successful attacks.
Winter may be coming, but it doesn't have to
last all year.
##
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Michael Davis, Chief Architect,
Open Systems
Author, speaker, consultant and
entrepreneur, Michael is Open Systems' Chief Architect and a highly regarded
expert on cybersecurity. His extensive experience includes serving as a senior
leader in the Global Threats group at McAfee, launching the IT security
consulting firm Savid Technologies and, more recently, Michael was the CTO of
GoSecure, a specialist in endpoint security. He has advised clients include
AT&T, Exelon, Sears and the U.S. Department of Defense.
In addition to regularly
speaking at industry conferences including Black Hat, Interop, SuperStrategies
and InfoSecWorld, Michael has written on cybersecurity topics for
InformationWeek, Dark Reading and other publications, and the Hacking Exposed
series of books.
As Chief Architect, Michael
advises Open Systems and our clients on security best practices and works with
product development to guide the future of the Microsoft Azure cloud-native
platform for Open Systems' MDR service.