The IT ecosystem has become vulnerable more than ever, with hackers expanding the front of their attacks from passive phishing to identity theft, cloud configuration errors, and remote access capture. So, it is no wonder why people are searching for some antivirus tools, look through the lists of top identity theft protection solutions, and read McAfee LiveSafe review to decide if it is capable of securing their digital lives.
New Technologies – New Challenges
Experts did not bypass the growing popularity of technologies, the use of which can also pose a threat. We are speaking about 5G, the Internet of Things, and communications. Connecting to the Internet with an increasing number of devices, including even lamps and microwaves, can lead to compromising their information security.
Today, in any network, an attacker can disable elements of a smart home or the industrial Internet of things. With the spread of 5G networks and the development of the Internet of things, the scale of the threat will increase, and connected cars or life support systems of the city can become victims of cyberattacks. As long as real networks 5G built based on previous generations’ networks, all the shortcomings of their protection will be relevant for 5G subscribers, Positive Technologies believes.
Finance Leakage
According to Kaspersky information security experts, mobile investment applications, which are gaining popularity in different countries, will also not be ignored by cybercriminals in 2024. Some applications have not yet implemented basic user account protection, two-factor authentication, and the ability to install a personal certificate. In some countries, the Government does not properly regulate these aspects, leading to an increase in the activity of local cybercrime groups. We have already observed fraudsters attempting to replace the interfaces of unprotected applications with their own malicious versions.
There is a potential danger for owners of crypto assets. Given the noticeable surge in cybercrime activity amid the growing popularity of Bitcoin and alternative cryptocurrencies in 2018, we cannot exclude a similar situation with cryptocurrencies Facebook (libra) and the Telegram messenger (Gram). Large players in this market should be particularly cautious since crypto assets fall within the interests of such well-known APT groups as Wild Neutron and Lazarus. Most likely, they will find a way to take advantage of the situation, Kaspersky experts say.
The increased number of personal data leaks can lead to a surge in fraudulent schemes, the purpose of which is to steal funds. Most likely, criminals will be interested in vulnerabilities related to the disclosure of information about users. In connection with which news can be expected about leaks of personal data and bank card data, the experts from Positive Technologies believe.
Smart and unprotected cities
Another trend in 2024 is the construction of smart buildings and entire smart cities. According to experts, this can also lead to new threats.
In recent years, new technologies have increasingly penetrated our daily lives, allowing us not only to manage all the devices in the house from one device but also to control the supply systems of electricity, water, gas, and transport infrastructure of entire cities. More than 80% of new buildings contain at least some elements of the Internet of Things (IoT), but the rapid growth of smart cities does not have time to improve their protection systems against cybercrime attacks.
At the same time, experts are concerned that smart cities are actively growing, and their protection systems are still underdeveloped. Many gadgets do not have a sufficiently reliable authentication protocol. Some do not have any solution for information security at all.
Many smart devices and systems do not have reliable authentication protocols or are not protected at all by any security solutions.
The fact that smart home and urban systems are not used for web browsing or e-mail does not mean that they cannot be attacked by malicious software. In particular, cybercriminals can use these systems for hidden cryptocurrency mining or gain control over them with a demand for redemption.
Digital Transformation
The need to adapt companies to digitization is not new. At the same time, one of the digital transformation trends is the growth of employee mobility, which today can connect remotely to the corporate network. In this regard, the risk of unauthorized access to confidential company data increases, which can be minimized through an integrated approach to ensuring the cyber protection of organizations.
Already, companies are introducing IT technologies in all areas of their business. The changes relate primarily to the processing of information and data used in work.
Key factors for enterprises that are beginning a digital transformation are understanding the relevance of cybersecurity issues and using reliable solutions to comprehensively protect the corporate network from possible threats and ultra-modern complex attacks.
