The world is making significant strides across many frontiers because of the fast-paced evolution of digital technology. However, such advancements have also increased the magnitude and complexity of cyber threats.
Cyber threats usually refer to the prospect of a successful cyberattack that aims to damage or steal a computer network, an information technology asset, or any other form of sensitive data.
The last few years have been anything but ordinary regarding cybersecurity regarding what escalated the matter. The COVID-19 pandemic has permanently altered the way business is conducted, and cybercriminals have adapted by tailoring their strategies to the new reality. Moreover, cyber threat actors seek to extract maximum benefit or impact from their attacks. As a result, the present threat landscape comprises larger, edgier, and higher-impact attacks.
To shed more light on that matter, let’s take a closer look at the most significant cybersecurity threats that are/will be acting as a catalyst for destruction in 2022:
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Ransome attacks
During the pandemic, ransomware blasted, causing enormous disturbances and forcing big institutions and critical structures to pay millions in ransom. And while AI technology has been one of the driving forces of change, its usage has increased the power of ransomware threats. In addition, insurance companies that choose to pay become victims of cybercrime, and the return of data is never a guarantee. In this situation, the best line of defense is to prevent the incident from occurring in the first place by enrolling in some cyber security bootcamp to learn the means of providing digital protection.
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Stuffing Credentials
Credential stuffing is a type of cyber-attack in which credentials acquired from a data breach on one service are used for logging into another unconnected service. Such attacks are becoming more common due to more intelligent bots that attempt multiple logins simultaneously and appear to stem from different IP addresses. Credential stuffing attacks are effective because many users reuse the same password/username across various sites. Given this, it is fair to say that credential stuffing will remain a severe threat if this practice continues.
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DDoS threats
A Denial of Service/Distributed Denial of Service Attack (DDoS) occurs when an attacker employs many devices (often in the thousands) to overpower target systems. Typically, the attacker will target websites that can only handle a limited number of users at any given time. That renders the website (and related services) inoperable for a passage of time.
IT professionals with access to networks and servers handle a large portion of the prevention and response to DDoS attacks. They frequently make sure that security solutions are in place. On the other hand, ordinary users can help by following the same precautions and procedures as they would for malware prevention.
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Your IoT devices
The Internet of Things (IoT) includes a wide range of “smart” devices, including Wi-Fi-enabled refrigerators, coffee makers, manufacturing robots, and a plethora of other machines. The problem with these devices is that attackers can hijack them to form networks of infected devices to launch additional attacks. Worse, many businesses are unaware of how many IoT devices they have on their channels, which means they have vulnerabilities.
These unknown devices present a tremendous opportunity for attackers and a considerable risk to businesses. To reduce the threat posed by IoT devices, a security audit should be performed that identifies all of the disparate assets on the network and the operating systems on which they run. These IoT devices can then be adequately accounted for in the company’s cybersecurity strategy. Moreover, such audits need to regularly account for any innovative technologies connected to the same network over time.
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Scams in the marketplace
Digital criminal activity is frequently inextricably linked to existing political and social issues. According to Experian, more marketplace fraud cases will be due to rising prices and ongoing supply chain issues in 2022. Threat actors will try to meet market demand with counterfeit goods, filling stockpile gaps with a series of scams. As a result, people will have to pay for items that do not exist. The number of fake websites will also likely increase. Still, users can take all the necessary steps to check their authenticity.
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Deepfake synthetic identity fraud
Identity fraud is not a new phenomenon, with threat actors becoming more adept at integrating your leaked personal information with publicly available data on social media profiles.
With the advancement of AI, cybercriminals can successfully impersonate people. They can then use available data and AI to create new synthetic profiles with facial images, voice cloning, and documents to apply for social benefits and loans. That makes it more difficult for businesses to authenticate their customers. Still, it can also pose severe personal and financial risks to individuals. Many threat actors, for example, choose to target underage Internet users to commit synthetic identity fraud.
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Cloud vulnerabilities
Businesses rapidly use cloud computing to accelerate their digital transformation strategy. However, despite the growing popularity of the cloud, data security is still a significant concern for many companies. The leading causes of cloud vulnerabilities include improper RDP (Remote Desktop Protocol) management, configuration issues, weak authentication, and shadow IT use.
Conclusion
From what we’ve listed above, it would be foolish to deny that cybersecurity is a critical consideration in today’s digital world. There are always cyber risks with so much personal information at our fingertips. However, by learning about cyber security threats and how to deal with them, you can increase your chances of keeping your data safe.
Founder Dinis Guarda
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