2021 was a year that saw an exponential rise in cybercrimes, and 2022 began no differently. We are right at the beginning of the year and we already have reports of hackers increasingly using Google Docs’ productivity features to drop malicious links past spam filters and cyber security tools. Without skipping a beat, malicious actors are back at it.
Shedding light on the significance of cyber defence, we will be looking at the top 3 cyber security resolutions we should be aiming for in 2022, along with how well we tackled the challenges in 2021, which became one of the most hectic years for cyber security.
2022 will surely be just as challenging, if not more so, with organisations getting digitised and increasing the attack surface open to cybercriminals. But we can build cyber-survivable systems that can help maintain effectiveness against increasing threat levels.
Cyber Security Resolutions for 2022
Given that 328 million new devices are connected to the Internet each month, from computers, tablets and phones to Internet of Things (IoT) devices, more systems are getting online and becoming accessible. This is leading to data breaches evolving as the new road to theft and destruction, and the escalation in cyberattacks is expected to continue. With that in mind, let’s unpack the resolutions:
#1 Internal monitoring and proactive security
Critical infrastructure industries faced a great deal of work when it came to identifying, protecting, and recovering from cyberattacks. Despite attempts to progress towards tightening security, it has been a rollercoaster year for OT and IT cyber security. The pandemic became a catalyst for cyber attacks as hackers took advantage of challenging times and ransomware took centre stage with cyber-attacks across the globe. From the infamous Colonial Pipeline attack to the Kesaya attack, businesses paid multi-million dollar ransom demands, yet 35% of them have not received all their encrypted data back.
Monitoring and reporting is the first step towards detecting irregular activities in the system and identifying the breach. While the scope of threats in 2022 looks the same as last year, we might be seeing more creative ways of exploitation and fresh assaults on vulnerabilities. For instance, a hacker used AI voice cloning to deceive a bank manager in the United Arab Emirates and tricked them into handing over $35 million.
It’s not just the top management, but every employee needs to step up to the new rules of cyber security and learn adversary tactics and techniques while unlearning legacy methods. There is an urgent sense of transition for CISOs who need to recognise that cyber defence is no longer focused on stacks of servers and personal computers. We will have to navigate the hybrid model of working that brings more security consequences along. There has been an increase in interest in technologies like SD-WAN, zero-trust, and the secure access service edge (SASE) which we can explore this year.
#2 Prepare for the skills gap
In 2021, organisations started evaluating the assets that have the highest probability of being attacked and taking precautionary steps. However, cyber protection is not enough anymore. There is a high demand for incident response, crisis management, and disaster recovery plans in cyberspace. And with cloud adoption across industries, more hands-on knowledge is the need of the hour.
So, there is a far wider skill gap to be addressed than we thought. Every year, there are thousands of cyber security jobs that go unfilled and it is one of the top 5 challenges for modern CISOs. Statistically speaking, by 2022, the global cyber security workforce shortage has been projected to reach upwards of 1.8 million unfilled positions. This demands a persistent effort from industry leaders and organisations to work towards bridging this gap and catering to the growing need for cyber talent.
Additionally, remote working is here to stay and demands new methods to support remote workers to build a resilient system of security. The cyber security skill gap is a puzzle that needs to be essentially addressed.
#3 Employ AI and Machine Learning
Supply chain attacks in 2021 demonstrated the impact of a successful breach and how it can compromise hundreds of organisations in a single link. Organisations began prioritising network access for third-party vendors and evaluated their security procedures. Yet the lack of resources and insufficient processes hindered efficiency. With the evolving supply chain attack and newer ways adopted by hackers, it is near impossible to defend your assets against zero-day vulnerabilities.
Organisations are employing the benefits of artificial intelligence into their systems to prioritise the assessment of top-tier vendors, evaluating their network access, and security procedures. While the same can be employed by hackers to their advantage, we shouldn’t let that hinder our efforts. Many believe that AI will be the catalyst in determining whether the industry can keep up with threat actors. According to reports, by becoming one of the earliest adopters of AI, Germany could even exceed its 2030 GDP target by 4%.
As threat factors continue to evolve, cyber defenders can respond faster with the ecosystem of technical solutions available and community sharing within industries. As leaders, you can start by paying close attention to developments in cloud security, enterprises, and learning from the ever-changing circumstances. The key here is acknowledging the importance of adaptability. Resolving to adapt to the changing environments and how high priority security can be achieved, we can unlock greater efficiency, productivity, and lower emissions.
We hope organisations, small and large, have thought through their strategic approaches towards security for 2022 and are ready to take the challenges head-on!
