The year 2016 saw a lot of cyber-attacks. Hackers stole the show for a host of different causes. Since then the issue of cyber security has been on the top agenda of various organizations. And it’s not just limited to companies alone; cyber security has become an international priority in different spheres right from politics to national defense, smart homes, and our global economic systems.
So what will be the scenario in the year 2017? Some will call them a security forecast, some current online trends, or safety projections. There is no one answer for the protection of cyber-crime. It is like looking into a crystal ball and predicting the future so that organizations, individuals, and companies can take some measures to prevent them.
What is cyber security?
It is the technique of protecting computers, different networks, and programs from unlicensed access or attacks which aimed for manipulation.
The major areas covered in cyber security are –
- Application Security
- Information Security
- Disaster Recovery
- Network Security
Application Security
Application security refers to measures and protects various applications from attacks which can come during the making of the application design, development, upgradations or maintenance.
Information security
Information security provides information against illegal sources of information.
Disaster Recovery
It is the process of performing risk assessment and developing various strategies for disaster recovery.
Networks Security
It is the process of protecting the usability, reliability, and safety of the network.
We take a roundup of the different cyber security trends. To begin with, mobile attacks will increase, privacy issues will be exposed, and fake ads will proliferate, social engineering attacks will be on the rise. Attackers will also target consumer devices.
To begin with, mobile attacks will increase, privacy issues will be exposed, and fake ads will proliferate, social engineering attacks will be on the rise. Attackers will also target consumer devices.
We take a look at some more security trends in detail-
1. Cyber War
A war is no longer limited to the topographical battlefield. It has entered the cyberspace, and it’s only getting bigger. It will no longer be a matter of only one organization or an individual. It will become a global problem. Countries will have to come together to fight this cyber war. As the nature of a cyber-attack is digital, countries will have to set up a strong cyber division to watch these attacks and eventually seek protection.
2. The Need of Data Protection Will Increase
The need for data protection will increase like never before. For e.g. There have been instances where the personal information of job seekers was leaked. Such security breaches call for the advanced level of cyber protection. So as more and more data gets stored online data protection will play an even greater role. So what role are companies playing? We give an example here. E-commerce has totally changed the way how we shop, pay our bill, interact with friends and communicate. There is license behind it, the SSL certificate is also known as secure socket layer. Leading companies such as Symantec are offering secured data encrypted (hide/conceal) solutions which allow companies to carry out smooth operations
3. SME’S Will Have Increased Risks
Whichever kind of business it is, and you should never ignore the risks associated with it. The upcoming cyber security trend suggests that small and medium scale businesses will have increased risk of cyber-attacks. So why will there be increased attacks on SME’S? Small and medium scale businesses often lack the required infrastructure and proper security practices to tackle cyber issues. Cyber criminals will capitalize on this very attitude of ‘who will target me when there are so many biggies” of small firms.
4. Organizations Will Play a Special Role
The need for cyber security professionals will increase within the organizations. The role of a security officer will not just be that of monitoring but also understanding the business goals of his company as cyber risks do not survive in a vacuum. He will have to go beyond the normal role of an officer and chalk out strategic plans to tackle cyber security.
5. Ransomware Will Increase
You must have heard of ransom calls, right? The ones where you get phone calls to pay up a huge amount of money or else you receive a certain kind of physical threat. Well, it has now entered the digital world also. Ransomware is the type of malicious software which prevents the users to access a particular system until a certain amount of money is paid. It can target any computer.
6. Rise in mobile security threats
This was as expected. As the usage of internet has increased manifold browsing on the mobile while on the go has become a routine part of one’s life. But while doing so, people unintentionally store a lot of unnecessary and worse dangerous data. Some mobile threats which will be on the rise are as follows- insecure data storage, insufficient protection, poor level of authentication. Data transmissions and free Wi-Fi make your phones very susceptible to online breaches.
7. Government Intervention Will Increase
Earlier the threat of cyber security was only limited for some organizations. But now it has spread from various companies to different institutions, people, the general public and also the government agencies. The online breach has escalated so much that it will call for government intervention to handle the issue.
8. Healthcare Will Go Digital
The healthcare industry is going through a major revolution with more and more patient data going online. An increasing number of medical professionals are now realizing the benefits of advanced and smart medical devices. However, these medical records are now a prime target for hackers as they contain a lot of sensitive information. The healthcare industry is yet to grasp completely the nuances of digital security. Till then hackers will capitalize on the loopholes and take advantage of the vulnerabilities.
9. Cyber Risk Insurance will be the new agenda
In the aftermath of growing cyber-attacks, cyber insurance will be a part of the new protection strategy of companies. However, this type of insurance will not just be limited to cover the general risks. The Insurance industry will need to develop products according to the client requirement.
Micheal Griffin is a tech blogger and software consultant in a Multi-national company. He has many years of experience in various business software such as work management, file handling, office communication and data security.
