5 Trends That Are Changing the Landscape of Cybersecurity

In cybersecurity, change is a given. Technology is constantly evolving, and attackers are always updating their tactics. If you want your organization to remain secure in this ever-changing environment, it’s not enough to keep up with the trends — you need to be one step ahead. 

In this blog, we’ll delve into five key trends that are currently reshaping the cybersecurity landscape, from emerging nation-state threats to generative AI, and explore how to proactively secure your organization in an uncertain digital landscape. 

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Trend #1: Social engineering puts the spotlight on individual security 

Advanced social engineering attacks are on the rise, with attackers targeting specific individuals to steal credentials and gain access to organizations' systems. Since attackers are focusing on individual vulnerabilities, organizations must in turn focus on individual security. 

Mobile phones, in particular, have become an appealing entry point for bad actors. People tend to assume their mobile devices are secure, which means they’re often left unprotected. But with smaller screens and simplified user interfaces, it can be easy to miss the telltale signs of an SMS phishing attack or other types of phishing. Because people often use the same device for work as they use in their personal lives, attackers can exploit those connections. 

As organizations look to improve security on an individual mobile device level, there will be a growing focus on tools like mobile device management (MDM) and mobile threat defense (MTD) to safeguard corporate data against targeted phishing attacks. 

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Trend #2: Hacking groups and nation-states are becoming more sophisticated attackers 

Advanced persistent threat (APT) groups from China, Russia, and North Korea have recently targeted both public and private organizations, and we can expect that these notorious hacking groups will only continue to become more organized in the future. In the coming months, we may see more collaboration from nation-states, with their own destructive goals like spying on infrastructure or gaining access to government files, and we may see some new countries emerging as threat actors. 

Because companies like NSO Group, developer of Pegasus spyware, have restricted sales of spyware to non-NATO nations, new entities backed by Russia and China have emerged to fill the void. With this increased availability of nation-state spyware, we'll likely see many of the techniques used by APTs and nation-states filter down into regular cybercriminal activities and contribute to the growth of spyware accessible on the dark web. 

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Trend #3: VPNs are falling out of favor with CISOs 

As organizations move to accommodate a permanently hybrid and remote workforce, they are no longer solely relying on VPNs for remote access security. Many CISOs are transitioning away from VPNs because they grant unrestricted access to the entire infrastructure of the organization and allow for lateral movement, making them appealing targets for cyber attacks. 

When it comes to protecting sensitive corporate data, zero trust network access (ZTNA) offers a more secure approach compared to traditional VPNs, because it offers granular control limiting users to specific apps. This reduces the overall attack surface and prevents lateral movements of threats, minimizing the risk of compromised accounts or devices compromising the entire infrastructure. With the right ZTNA solution, you should be able to understand all the private apps running inside your corporate network, track users' risk profiles, and protect data wherever it goes. 

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Trend #4: Generative AI is the next TikTok 

In the last year, many organizations have talked about banning specific apps like TikTok and PinDuoDuo over fears that they're sending data to nation-states or other bad actors. But with thousands of apps sending sensitive information to all corners of the internet, it's become clear that banning individual apps is merely a short-term fix to a much bigger problem. Instead, organizations have begun to address the root problem by implementing a security strategy that ensures users can't send data to places they shouldn't. 

This is especially critical given the rise of generative AI products like ChatGPT and Bard. While these tools can be beneficial for productivity, they're also a form of shadow IT and can be a potent vector for data leakage. Organizations should be concerned about data like IP, proprietary code, trade secrets, and other sensitive data ending up in generative AI platforms, and they should take steps to block users from uploading or submitting sensitive data to them. 

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Trend #5: Cloud scalability is an opportunity — and a threat 

Cloud-based apps are powerful and scalable, and create ample opportunities for organizations to collaborate and stay productive. But along with that power and scalability comes a new cloud security challenge. 

Unfortunately, many enterprises have been sluggish when adopting emerging cloud technologies like generative AI because they don't have the proper security controls. In order to speed up the adoption of innovative, cloud-based technologies, IT and security teams must focus on ensuring they have the proper security protocols in place to protect their data while taking advantage of all the power and scale the cloud has to offer. 

With a modern cloud app security solution, you should be able to automatically detect and mitigate misconfigurations, create and enforce security policies from a single location, and help you make zero-trust decisions to protect sensitive data while enabling productivity. 

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Prepare your organization for the challenges ahead 

Between evolving technology and advancing cyber threats, organizations must have a nimble approach to cybersecurity.  

To learn more about how your organization can stay one step ahead of the trends, check out our free webinar, Cybersecurity Predictions for 2024: Emerging Threats and Best Practices. Our panel of experts discusses their top cybersecurity predictions for the coming year and how to build a resilient cybersecurity infrastructure to defend against emerging threats.