Information Technology is getting more advanced with the passage of time, so are the threats associated with it. IT security has definitely caught the attention of the leading IT companies around the world. In fact, even the European Union’s GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) came into existence as a result of genuine concern towards cybersecurity.
Data is everything in today’s times; not just for the businesses, but for the nations too. For this reason, the security measures being taken by the leaders in the world of IT are surely grabbing more eyes. We have already seen a number of massive cyber attacks in 2017. How 2018 is going to be in this regard? Well, let us take a look at the security trends that are going to rule in 2018.
Increased Ransomware attacks
Looking at the current trend, there is no doubt in saying that the number of ransomware attacks is going to increase in 2018. This is going to remain one of the major concerns for companies that depend heavily on its IT infrastructure. Without any doubt, almost every company nowadays is connected to the internet. So, it is going to be a major challenge for the experts of IT security to prevent such attacks from happening.
According to GDPR, it has already become mandatory for the companies operating in the European countries to take preventive measures related to data loss. Since the attackers of ransomware make use of spear-phishing method, therefore it becomes even more difficult to detect such attacks.
Artificial Intelligence
As AI has become more advanced, it is also widened the loophole through which the cyber-criminals can attack their targets. These criminals can make use of ML or machine learning to figure out the target is a more accurate manner. For example, it has become possible to target the management level employees of an organization. Likewise, cybercriminals can also target users who are closely related to the ultimate target; as it becomes easier to overcome the layers of security.
This is one such technique of cyber attack that the criminals are going to make use in the days to come. The case of Equifax is one of the latest examples of such cyber attacks. Unfortunately, when the attack is made, nobody gets a clue about it.
Strict GDPR compliance
In 2018, the rules and regulations under the General Data Protection Regulation have definitely become more stringent. Companies doing business with the citizens of Europe have to do everything to protect the data of its customers/clients. Data protection is certainly turning out to be a major trend in 2018. More and more companies are going to avail data protection services from the third parties.
No doubt, the implementation of such policies will add more strength to the importance of data protection in the coming months. This could be the reason why more and more professionals are joining certification courses related to IT security, as the demand for well-trained IT security experts is shooting up. CISSP certification is one such option that has gained a lot of popularity in the recent times.
Sandbox-evading malware on rise
In the last few years, sandbox technology has definitely helped us in keeping the malwares at bay. This technology has proved to be quite effective in detecting and thwarting malware infections. But, the present-age cybercriminals are producing more advanced malwares, which are capable of recognizing when they are enclosed within a sandbox; plus, they release the malicious code only after they get out of the sandbox. So, in 2018 these kinds of malwares are going to stay in the news for sure.
Control over IoT
Nowadays, almost every electronic item, home appliance, and even vehicles are getting connected to the network. Smart TV, fridge, smartwatch, car’s infotainment system, etc. are some of the many things that can be easily accessed by the cybercriminals. Yes, it is possible to shut down these devices and extort money in return. In fact, a power grid connected to the network can also be shut down, which in turn can create a lot of issues. There is no doubt that connecting even the home appliances to the network can add more good points to the user experience; however, it is also important to think about their protection, particularly for the enterprise level consumers.
In addition to them, there are many more IT security related trends that we are going to see in 2018. Cloud-related incidents are also on the rise. As more and more companies are getting more inclined towards the cloud-based servers, the need to protect the data in these servers is also catching speed. Without any doubt, cloud servers need a better level of protection against the cybercriminals, and it is going to remain in the trend for sure.
