Industry executives and experts share their predictions for 2023. Read them in this 15th annual VMblog.com series exclusive.
Cybersecurity Predictions 2023: Tackling Our Greatest Threat to Corporate Security: Trust
By Mark Guntrip, Senior Director of Cybersecurity Strategy at Menlo Security
Over the years, bad actors have started getting more creative with their methods of attack – from pretending to be a family member or co-worker to offering fortunes and free cruises. Recent research from our team revealed that while consumers are being exposed to these kinds of attacks (31% of respondents reported they received these types of messages multiple times a day), they continue to fall prey to these attacks given the exploitation of trust that attackers are using to maximize the chance a target will be successful.
This is not only a threat to personal data, but also a threat to corporate security. As we continue to live a majority of our lives online, the need for better cybersecurity hygiene and awareness is essential to our safety.
Cyberthreats will continue to rise and implicit trust is being used to increase the rate of successful attacks
Ransomware attacks will continue to rise in 2023. From attacks on critical infrastructures to individual business, it’s clear that in today’s threat landscape no one’s systems are safe and there’s no signs of cybercriminals slowing down these efforts.
The most alarming part? Human nature is being targeted with increasing success. Our research found that employees not following corporate security advice topped the list of IT security decision maker’s biggest concerns and 39% worry about ransomware attacks evolving beyond their company’s security capabilities. It’s no surprise that cyber attackers are becoming increasingly intelligent as we continue to see an emergence in techniques that can evade typical security stacks, like HEAT (Highly Evasive Adaptive Threats) attacks. These tactics are not only are tricking traditional corporate security measures but they’re also becoming more successful in luring employees into their traps as they identify ways to appear more legitimate by delivering ransomware via less suspecting ways like through browsers.
We’ll continue to see an escalation in ransomware attacks and as a result we anticipate a shift in security approach toward methods that prevent threats before they reach the network or endpoint vs. the outdated “detect and respond” technology that organizations typically use. We’ll see that having the proper security posture in preventing against today’s threats will play a major role in mitigating and minimizing attacks this upcoming year.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Mark Guntrip has over 20 years experience in security marketing including strategy, product management, and product marketing across enterprise and commercial markets. Specific market areas include advanced threat protection, web security, cloud based security, firewalls and managed security services. He has a proven track record of building success in new markets as well as promoting growth within more established areas. Prior to Menlo Security, Guntrip held various management roles with Proofpoint, Symantec and Cisco.
