As we are approaching the end of 2024, the cybersecurity landscape is going to change dramatically. The change is a direct outcome of changing dynamics of the way businesses are being conducted, services are delivered, and workplace shifts are taking place. Billions of new connections are configured everyday. Consequently, everyday millions of new assets join the list that needs to be protected.
From the advanced technologies including AI and quantum computing to several other changes in the cyber threat landscape, organizations need to be prepared to protect their digital assets.
As a result, cyber is increasingly becoming more embedded in main business activities. Now, cybersecurity is integral to every business function and organizations have moved to a more security mindset.
In this blog, we are going to discuss the top trends that will shape the cybersecurity space in the upcoming year.
The world is generating more data than ever. In real-time. To detect threats in advance, security teams need to identify suspicious patterns. However, it is not possible to process this overwhelming amount of data manually. AI algorithms will provide real-time threat analysis, while ML will adapt and update security protocols autonomously. The emergence of AI-driven security bots will make network defense more proactive and efficient.
The most significant change in the year 2024 is integration of AI/ML in cybersecurity. This is because AI/ML powered with data analysis make it possible to process data in unprecedented quantities. This helps in the detection of real-time threat analysis and update of security protocols.
In addition to this, the advancement of AI powered security bots will make the defense of the network more active and effective.
There has been a massive explosion in the connected devices resulting in the growth of Internet of Things (IoT). As per the 2023 SonicWall Cyber Threat Report, IoT malware globally registered increase by 37%, responsible for 77.9 million attacks,The trend has continued in 2024, and this is more likely to be continued in the future.
Additionally, the integration of AI and ML algorithms into IoT systems will further deepen enabling quicker threat detection and response.
The expansion of remote work has brought the focus on securing remote access to work environments. Robust remote access capabilities is not a choice anymore, but it is a security priority. The demand for strong encryption, and advanced authentication methods, and secure connections over various networks will increase. This will ensure operational continuity and data protection in the face of rising cyber threats. .
The rise of quantum computing presents both opportunities and challenges for cybersecurity. This has made revolutionary changes in encryption methods and threat detection, while also posing considerable threat to existing encryption techniques.
In 2024, there has been some development in quantum-resistant encryption methods to ensure resilience against the advanced quantum related threats.
As phishing attacks continue to evolve in sophistication, robust authentication systems become crucial.
Therefore, the demand for MFA or Multi-Factor authentication will continue to increase. MFA is among the most secure security measures that protects users’ password, smartphone, and biometrics – personal data, fingerprint, retina et al.
In 2024, MFA will become a must-have for organizations seeking to protect sensitive business data from potential unauthorized access.
With the increasing reliance on mobile devices for various tasks, the focus on mobile security has intensified. Secure mobile access solutions, such as those offered by Splashtop, provide encrypted remote access from mobile devices to computers or networks.
These solutions incorporate multi-factor authentication and session logging features, preventing unauthorized access and monitoring for suspicious activity.
The Zero Trust security model, which assumes that threats can exist both outside and inside the network, has gained significant momentum.
The Zero Trust model offers a flexible and adaptive solution to secure diverse and distributed IT environments.
In the future, organizations will increasingly adopt this approach. They will be focusing on continuous monitoring, identity verification, strict access controls, and network activity monitoring.
As the incidents of cyber attacks are increasing exponentially, the demand for trained security professionals, such as penetration testers and offensive security professionals. However, there are not enough cybersecurity professionals in the market. Hence, the skills gap will continue to persist and keep posing challenges to organizations in dealing with threat incidents.
As more people recognize the benefits of blockchain technology for enhancing cybersecurity because of the inherent features of blockchain, such as immutability, transparency; its use cases in cybersecurity are increasing. Integrating blockchain can make it extremely difficult for fraudsters and threat actors to hack or tamper data/identities.
To sum up, in 2024, we will see more practical use cases of blockchain in cybersecurity, such as identity management, access control, and data integrity.