Cyber security has never been more important for businesses. All sorts of cyber security threats reared their ugly heads in 2016. Though ransomware stole the headlines, an array of other digital attacks also compromised data across businesses of all sizes. Unfortunately, these attacks will likely ramp up in intensity and frequency in 2017 and beyond.
The Emergence of Ransomware
Ransomware has challenged even the savviest cyber security gurus. This style of digital attack holds a computer or network hostage until the requested ransom is paid. Though progress has been made, ransomware is still an absolute nightmare. Industry experts also anticipate an increase in DDoS attacks as well as attacks against the Internet of Things (IoT) that connects appliances and machines across homes and organizations to the web. It is even possible that IoT will soon become RoT, meaning ransomware hackers will target web-connected appliances and other machines.
Hackers are targeting mobile devices in very creative ways. These attacks will increase as people rely on smartphones and tablets even more for personal computing. Mobile malware has grown quite quickly since 2013. About 300 new variants of malicious code were developed for Android every month across this past year. The number will increase in 2017, possibly reaching 400 per month by year’s end.
Everyone Will Be Watching the Healthcare Industry
The healthcare industry was ravaged by cyberattacks, including ransomware in 2016. Healthcare companies scrambled to limit the damage, assess risk, back up data, and better monitor their networks. This industry will be watched closely by professionals in other industries in the years to come. The digital security solutions healthcare companies implement will be copied or avoided based on their success or failure. Hopefully, the healthcare industry will serve as a model for positive changes across industries of all different varieties.
End User Education
There is a growing push to educate people at all levels of organizations about digital security. The end user is often considered to be the weakest link within the security chain. These users must be educated about current threats and how they spread. It is time to think of security as a responsibility shared by everyone, not just the IT experts.
Security Threats to Gaming Platforms
Computer gamers’ mobile devices are now quite the tempting targets for cyber criminals. Many such games are played online with smartphones, tablets and laptops that contain personal information. Malware attacks against gaming networks are on the rise as these platforms become increasingly popular.
Digital attacks targeting critical infrastructure will undoubtedly continue in the year ahead. These are particularly nasty attacks that can devastate the key assets of an organization or even an entire country. Cyber thieves will likely continue to focus on infrastructure attacks across 2017, targeting the web’s infrastructure as a whole to bring operations of all types to a grinding halt.