CIOs in 2020 continue to prioritise cybersecurity as the glue that allows organisations to take advantage of the amazing advancements in AI, 5G networks cloud computing, IOT, mobile devices etc. Organisations empower their workforce to maximise on the technology options available to be create and innovate – but with every good, there appears to be bad.
What are the greatest threats for the coming years?
The amount of information and published papers on cyber threats past and present are freely available on-line – but after reading quite a few and seeing the focus of our partners, here are our top 4 to focus on:
Ransomeware
Ransomeware is a multi-billion-dollar industry and malware attacks target industries who cannot afford downtime – for example, the healthcare industry, government institutions and industrial organisations (like oil refineries). They are not stopping there and cloud-base attacks are on the increase as more and more industries move their servers and data to the cloud. If you do not have advanced malware protection, ask for advice on how to protect your assets now – we work with amazing partners who deliver fantastic solutions.
AI-Enhanced Cyberthreats
Just as we start to reap the benefits of AI in our workplaces, lo and behold the hackers arrive! These enhanced attack measures will not only defraud, steal money, cause downtime or shutdowns – it will cause harm emotionally, injure or even kill. The human element is still heavily involved, mainly because of how AI interprets issues, but with the multiple entry points the focus is shifting amongst our clients and partners.
IOT (Internet of Things) and 5G
Okay, before we get started with the 5G conspiracy theories and the US/China dominance, there is no getting away from the human element – we love speedy connection, getting our information as quickly as possible and as easy as possible. I must be the only person in my group of friends who does not have Alexa or use voice activated apps – I am a bit of a sceptic on that. It cannot go unnoticed the amount of wearable devices, home devices and devices we use at work. The promise of more secure connections with 5G is fantastic but do not overlook the importance of regulation, focus on big data and of course regulatory bodies like GDPR etc. etc.
Machine Learning Poisoning
Machines perform tasks on a set of specific rules – those rules connect input data to an outcome and on many occasions can outperform us mere mortals. With the advancements of AI, machines can start to identify certain algorithms/patterns or designs wrongly or rightly. This is when the problems in machine learning models happen and the amount of researchers/developers working in the field of study called adversarial machine learning to evade machine learning malfunctions or attacks is immense and will certainly be a highly desirable skill set to have in-house.
If these topics are something you already know – you are well on your way to future-proofing your cyber security and we would love to hear from you on your experiences.