It is unfortunate that the number of digital attacks and the kinds of digital attacks that are carried out are both increasing, the good thing is that we are able to develop a better understanding of what the future of cybercrime might look like through an analysis of these trends. Here are some of the main advanced threats that we should keep an eye out for in 2022.
As ever, mobile attacks are still prevalent and both Andoird and iOS devices. Android users are still at a slightly higher risk because this platform allows for third-party applications to be installed with relative ease as compared to the more stringent criteria on iOS devices. The main challenge is that not only are attackers harder to prevent for mobile devices but also harder to detect.
Attacks targeting a supply chain are still rampant and are likely to increase moving into the future. The biggest threat with this is that once a certain kind of supply chain or a supply chain platform has been compromised it risks the security of all the companies using that platform.
Surveillance security systems have always been a controversial topic as they are the very tools that can be used to conduct cyber espionage if they fall into the wrong hands. Plus, there is no way to verify the intentions of those who already use it. Zero-day exploits continue to be a favorite attacking strategy and it is still unclear how regulations will be put in place to manage other offensive security strategies.
Cloud migration is still continuing to grow at a rapid pace and this is likely to be the situation for the foreseeable future. Together with weak cloud storage platforms and companies that fail to optimize their own configurations to meet cloud storage requirements, cloud-based services are at risk of attack. Moreover, cloud-based services and the data that they store are both likely to be attacked for more than one purpose, though ransomware is likely to remain a popular motive.
The prevalence of work-from-home practices has given rise to some attack methods that had previously fallen in popularity such as brute force attacks and social engineering attacks. However, these are being done with a new twist, in a more refined and often more effective approach. The use of personal machines for work and the fact that home networks are not optimized for work gives attackers more room and freedom to do what they want to. This will compromise both individual and corporate security.
Attackers from all over the world are focusing on certain regions such as the Middle East, Turkey, and Africa. These parts of the world are developing at an exponential pace and it is likely that these will be the most profitable areas for attackers. Users in these regions should pay extra attention to security.
The sophistication with which attackers are now targeting users is getting increasingly complex and in order to defend themselves, users need to have both good solutions as well as good security knowledge. If you are a single user or a business user, the chances of an attack are just as high. However, with the right protection, you can help yourself and even protect those around you.