By Rishikesh Kamat
As the world returns to normalcy post a turbulent period of two years, cybersecurity strategies too have evolved to manage the new normal. With an increase in the attack surface areas due to increased digitization, security leaders need to be more proactive in tackling emerging threats the topic of cyber security move from the IT department to the board room. As attacks have increased and the potential penalties, both regulatory and in terms of loss of customer trust, have increased, it has become a priority at every organizational level.
According to our 2023 Global Threat Intelligence Report, the 5 most attacked sectors are Technology, manufacturing, and transport/distribution remained in our top five most-attacked sectors, with critical infrastructure and supply chain remaining high-value targets.
Based on our experience and observations, here’s what we expect will be the top security trends in the next year:
- Zero Trust Network Access Solutions will be preferred:
Whether in the cloud, on-premises, or in a hybrid model, the Zero Trust model is becoming increasingly important in an era where users and networks are everywhere. But the reality is that sensitive data is accidentally leaked through poorly secured networks or through careless or thoughtless employees using unsecured devices while working from home. increase. There is a possibility. A threat can arise. It is assumed that all users must be authorized, authenticated, and continuously validated to access applications and data. According to Gartner, Gartner says that Zero Trust Network Access Solutions are predicted to grow 31% in 2023. This is driven by the increasing demand for zero trust protection for remote workers and the decreasing reliance on corporate VPNs for secure access.
- Cloud-based attacks to increase:
With the increasing importance of organizations moving to the cloud, security measures must be regularly reviewed and updated to prevent data breaches. Although cloud programs have adequate security, user error, malicious malware, and phishing attacks continue to be the leading sources of bugs, malware, and phishing attacks. Cloud-based deployments are growing at a breakneck pace. Almost regularly, we get alerts about cloud-based attacks due to misconfiguration or incorrect credentials. In 2023, this is expected to accelerate as the cloud becomes central to all digital transformation initiatives.
- Network security will acquire increased significance:
With distributed hybrid work models and more cloud-based workloads, the importance of network security has increased. This is corroborated by NTT’s 2022 Global Network Report, which states that security continues to be of supreme importance in network architecture thinking. More than 90% of organizations agree that ever-increasing security and compliance risks are a challenge throughout their IT and network operations. The report cites that the need to improve security and compliance will be one of the top three network-requirement motivators for CEOs in the coming two years. With network security becoming a major component of network architecture, there will be an increase in security demands for enterprise networks, requiring a deeper level of access control and inspection.
- Data Breach: A High-priority Target:
Data will continue to be a source of concern for businesses across worldwide. For individuals or corporations, securing digital data is a major concern. Hackers may possibly exploit any small flaw or fault in your system browser or software to gain access to personal information (PI). The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) has been in force since May 25, 2018 and continues to this day, The DPDP bill of 2023, grants certain rights to individuals including the right to obtain information, seek correction and erasure, and grievance redressal.
- OT related attacks will accelerate:
In a connected world where production environments such as factories and hospitals are connected to external networks, the risk of operational technology (OT)-related attacks increases. Just like IoT in 5G networks: 5G architecture is a relatively recent technology on the market and requires extensive research to identify security gaps and protect systems from external attacks. This is due to the convergence of IT and OT systems, where threats that once existed in the IT environment are now permeating the OT ecosystem. Whereas industrial systems were once largely proprietary and siloed, today these systems are increasingly connected to the internet, streamlining businesses, improving supply chain communications, cloud and his IoT.This poses a significant risk because OT systems do not have the same security ecosystem as IT. In PwC’s 2023 Global Digital Trust Insights report, 29% of large enterprises expect OT attacks to increase, while Gartner predicts that the economic impact of deadly cyber-physical attacks will increase to 50% by 2023% and reach billions of dollars.
Given the increased number of cyberattacks, no organization can afford to take cybersecurity lightly. Against this context, cybersecurity needs to be a strategic priority and must occupy a pivotal place from a planning and budgetary perspective. Organizations that display superior cyber-resilience will enjoy greater success due to improved trust from customers and partners.
#Conclusion
Organizations will be increasingly afraid to stack their security measures in 2023 because of these cybersecurity developments. Organizations are likely to spend more than ever on asset protection this year. Infrastructure security being such an important aspect of practically any firm today, it would be a wise decision to begin their cybersecurity education today to become specialists for tomorrow. Cybersecurity specialists who are skilled and experienced are among the highest-paid in the IT business.
(The author is Rishikesh Kamat, Senior Director – Products & Services, NTT Ltd in India, and the views expressed in this article are his own)
