Top Cybersecurity Trends to Watch Out for in 2021

January 22, 2021

Last Updated date: December 9, 2022

Benefits of Threat Hunting — Photo by Vitaly Vlasov from Pexels

The pace with which technology is advancing is remarkable. This technology is paving the way with more advanced practices that solve many problems in our daily lives. Technology is shaping the world for the past years with innovational tools and multi-functional devices. It is also influencing businesses around the globe to streamline their processes to achieve long-term business goals. However, this technology is a double-edged sword that comes with cons, along with benefits. The latest pandemic brought too many challenges to the world, along with the global transition of technology.

The large-scale digital transition is also bringing concerns for cybersecurity. With more businesses relying on technology, cybersecurity is becoming a more critical part of the plan. The main reason behind this is the rise in cybercrimes. Regardless of the business structure, cybercrimes are increasing at an alarming rate. The research reports a 238% increase in cybercrimes directly impacting the digital infrastructure. The last year was the prime theme of technological disruptions that increased the importance of cybersecurity. As 2021 unfolds, embracing cybersecurity remains crucial to keep a safe side from hackers. Both small and large businesses are keeping up with smart contract security audit services to ensure safety from potential cyberattacks. With that said, let’s discuss top cybersecurity trends to watch out for in 2021.

Data Breaches

One of the significant concerns of digital transformation is the safety of data. Data is the new oil around the world. Most businesses use the data to make business-related decisions for operations. However, this data is also the prime target of hackers. The most common causes of data breaches are weak or easy passwords, network faults, outdated software, and malware. These attacks are becoming more imminent because of poor communication and employee training.

As businesses become more reliant on the Internet of Things, data breach attacks are becoming inevitable. Not just the companies but every individual who has access to the internet are at risk of these attacks. 2020 was most significant for the data breaches. More than a billion consumer and market data were left on the web for anyone to see. For that instance, business needs to prepare themselves for the inevitable and follow precautionary measures to stay safe from data breaches. These include setting up two-factor authentication, firewalls, and backing up data to ensure potential hackers’ safety. Indeed, most organizations do not have tech-savvy employees. However, training them with employee development programs can help your business better protect against all kinds of cyberattacks. These programs may include a masters in cyber security online or information security to stay ahead of the cyberattacks. This way, you can ensure the protection of employees and the company from hackers.

In addition, it is worth investing in additional security measures such as privileged access management. This ensures only users that need access to particular systems can perform certain tasks. The fewer privileged users that can access confidential data and systems, the better.

Ransomware Threats

Apart from data breaches, ransomware attacks are also a continuously growing problem in the digital world. In ransomware, the hackers lock the users down by encrypting their files and demands a ransom for the decryption. Hackers are becoming more intelligent to attack the corporates for financial benefit, which is a severe problem.

According to research, 71% of the ransomware attacks focus on financial ransom, while 52% of the attacks are malware-based. These attacks are easy to launch on the servers, making them difficult to track earlier during the breach attack. Those organizations that heavily rely on software systems fall prey to ransomware attacks.

Automotive Hacking

Cyberattacks are no longer limited to computer systems and software. 2021 will follow a trend of automotive hacking. Since modern vehicles use computer systems for seamless automation, they are not safe from potential hackers. Hackers are doing their utmost to harm both corporates and individuals, thus raising concerns over national security.

Many cybersecurity organizations are working along with the government authorities for the safety of these attacks. The Wi-Fi and Bluetooth systems in self-driving autonomous vehicles are vulnerable to hackers.

Integrating Ai With Cybersecurity

Apart from the rising threats, there is also some good news for cybersecurity. The ongoing year is all set to integrate artificial intelligence with cybersecurity for smart protection against threats. Artificial intelligence is becoming paramount in all sectors of the world. Meanwhile, we are still fighting a war with the hackers developing AI smart malware to bypass the security protocols and causing data breaches.

Mobiles as New Targets

As more internet users shifts to mobile phones, the risk for potential prospects for hackers also increases. Hackers are now targeting mobile users for information breach, identity theft, ransomware, and phishing attacks. According to the latest trends, there is a 50% increase in mobile cyberattacks in recent years, followed in 2021. The main reason behind this is that mobile devices are more vulnerable as compared to advanced systems. Moreover, some people never take mobile security more seriously, which risks the whole organization for cyberattacks.

Both small and large businesses need to take high-priority measures to control the employees’ activity on mobile phones. Incorporating proactive approaches like two-factor authentication and antivirus applications can help them keep a safe side from potential hackers.

Investing in Cybersecurity Professionals

Most businesses avoid hiring IT professionals to secure their data until the hackers wreak havoc by stealing information. Just because your employees are working in a secure network does not mean you are safe from cyberattacks. Businesses must invest in the protection of networks and servers from data breaches. These cybersecurity experts are equipped with the skills and know the moves of the hackers.

This way, organizations can protect their valuable data and employees from blackmails and other cybersecurity intrusions.

Final Words

The cybersecurity trends are bound to have risks for an individual and corporate level. As discussed earlier, cyberattacks are always sure to happen. However, appropriately mitigating these risks is the right approach to protect the business data. The key to better protection is by continuously amending your organization with the latest proactive response policies in any unauthorized activity.