The world of Cyber Security has had a busy year, we have seen numerous high-profile incidents, below are a few of the headline grabbers…
- Apple v FBI
- Ukraine Power Grid Attack – Phishing Attack
- Tesco Bank
- TalkTalk
- Ransomware – The sheer volume and creativity
There is new legislation coming into force in 2018 and with this the bar will be raised for businesses in terms of protecting EU citizens’ data, but what about this year?
So, what can we expect in the rest of 2017? Looking forward we have tried to capture the sense of the market and what we have in store for 2017. We have boiled this down to 3 main areas, I would love to hear what you think…
- The higher rise of ransomware & Organised crime
Organised criminals will continue to become more skilled, capable and determined. This will replace the young tech amateurs operating from their bedrooms, resulting in more resources and more effective tactics.
Ransomware has now become the best “malware” type in our short digital history in terms of returning a profit for would-be thieves.
Although many business leaders Believe they’re prepared. The recent research shows most are unclear on what ‘state of the art’ actually means and how they will measure this ongoing requirement.
Now is the best time for Cyber professionals to stop simply reacting and take a proactive position by taking stock and redesigning their cyber security systems, which tends to be based on outdated principles!
- Human Factors
The IT industry will continue to develop more and more complex software and appliance based solutions. One important factor that needs to be considered is of course the human factor!
We think there will be an increased adoption of security experts into the mix, blending human security expertise with companies that provide technology-based solutions.
The challenge here, as always, is the availability of the appropriate resources, I see more “Security as a Service” offerings as IT teams struggle to keep up with the ever-increasing demands.
- Sophisticated credential theft
Hackers can gain control of a victim’s network and steal confidential data without being seen. It’s a trend that has been developing over the past year or two and unfortunately it is likely to continue to strengthen in 2017 and beyond.
So what’s the best thing to do?
Advanced analytics to identify suspicious behaviour are more likely to catch intrusions that don’t involve malware. This approach can quickly flag a suspicious incident in which credentials were used to access a system for the first time, from an unknown device at a new location outside usual hours. Smarter algorithms will enable machines to spot unusual or suspicious activity.
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