It’s widely believed that the digital revolution started sometime during the 1980s after the internet started becoming popular. But the internet was not the only driver behind this. Experts include newer work practices in healthcare, the invention of mobile devices, and social networking.
Fast forward to today, we’re living in the digital era. The digital landscape is changing fast and from the looks of it, it’ll keep changing in the coming years. One of the most important components of modern technology is cybersecurity.
In case you’re not aware, cybersecurity broadly refers to the technological infrastructure to protect computer systems and networks from external actors. Yes, even the antivirus you have installed on your computer comes under the cybersecurity umbrella.
One of the common characteristics of any ever-changing landscape is emerging trends. Cybersecurity is no different. Moreover, businesses often invest in managed services for their security, leaving room for even more trends.
Let’s take a look at some of the most impactful trends you need to look out for in the near future.
Automotive Hacking is the New Norm
There was a time when hackers and scammers targeted personal computers to extract email passwords, social security numbers, bank account details, etc. Then came enterprise-grade hacking where bad actors targeted massive data sets that are supposed to be secure at data centers.
We’re not saying these trends are not relevant anymore because they are. However, an emerging trend is automotive hacking. It doesn’t come as a surprise considering the extent of evolution in vehicles over the past few decades. With Tesla bearing the torch, we’re heading toward an inevitable future of smart cars.
To provide modern amenities like Bluetooth connectivity, cruise control, driver assistance, and whatnot, manufacturers have to connect the computers of these vehicles to the Internet. And hackers are taking full advantage of it.
Data Breaches are More Common
The mass availability of data is undoubtedly one of the primary drivers of the technological revolution. Just like major corporations are spending billions to acquire data, cybercriminals are also arming themselves with more data breach methods.
If you look at a cybersecurity graph database for big-name companies, you’ll see that almost all attacks are on databases. To protect vulnerable communities, regulatory authorities are pushing new protection standards like the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA).
With an increasing number of cases, it’s high time organizations increase their cybersecurity budget and employ better MSPs to safeguard their networks.
The Rise of Cloud-Based Services
There was a time when big businesses and IT companies only used on-premise infrastructure for their needs. But as data centers become more powerful every year, we’re seeing a rise in cloud-based software usage.
The benefit of cloud-based managed service providers (MSP) is that you don’t have to worry about hardware requirements or uninterrupted power delivery to the hardware. The disaster recovery tools for MSP have also come a long way so there is no real risk of using cloud-based solutions.
Another core benefit of cloud solutions is the potentially infinite scalability. This is leading more companies to opt for these agile solutions that not only accelerate growth but also reduce costs.
Some common examples of cloud-based services include SaaS, PaaS, IaaS, cloud hosting, and cloud storage.
Data Analytics and Data Engineering
One of the main reasons managed service providers in IT and cybersecurity have grown so fast is the vast amount of available data. In the right hands, data can derive patterns, spot vulnerabilities, and provide potential solutions to otherwise stubborn problems.
In recent times, businesses have realized the potential of data. They’re investing a lot of manpower and other resources to find reliable ways to gather, store, and analyze data. The process of developing such a system is holistically known as data engineering.
Data analytics, on the other hand, is a “systematic computational analysis of data or statistics”. In other words, businesses are investing to analyze the data collected by data engineers to provide more value to their target audience.
IoT with 5G Network
The Internet of Things or IoT is a relatively new trend that changed millions of households overnight. Google Assistant, Amazon Alexa, Amazon Echo Dot, etc. have made it possible to play songs without leaving the couch, change room temperature with voice commands, and whatnot. We’re truly living in an era of interconnectivity.
However, the increasing number of home connectivity devices is opening up Pandora’s box of cyberattacks. When you had a single router supplying the internet, you had only one point for a data breach. With smart IoT devices like Alexa, hackers have more entry points in your private networks.
Thankfully, IoT device manufacturers are shifting to the 5G infrastructure. It may not be impenetrable to hackers but the sheer novelty of this technology makes it harder for bad actors to find vulnerability.
To better protect the new generation of IoT services better, MSPs are investing more than ever in cybersecurity infrastructure.
Ransomware-as-a-Service (RaaS)
Well, you’ve heard of Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) or Platform-as-a-service (PaaS) but you may have heard of Ransomware-as-a-Service (RaaS). In 2022 alone, 71% of the global businesses were subject to ransomware attacks. A report published by IBM states that it takes up to 49 days to identify these attacks!
Experts are suggesting improved and stronger cyber hygiene for businesses at all levels. They also recommend evaluating SaaS and PaaS services before installing because they can very well be RaaS in disguise!
Insider Threats
This is not a new cybersecurity trend by any means. Internal threats have long been in issue, especially for organizations with hundreds of employees. In coming years, the severity of the threats may increase as remote work is becoming more and more common.
When companies hire employees from all over the world, they don’t have the same means to verify one’s identity and background. It’s easy for bad actors like hackers or scammers to join such organizations only to sabotage the internal network.
This is in line with RaaS and automotive hacking trends because it’s even possible to hack a car remotely and inject ransomware into the system.
