2019 saw evolved cyber threats, the democratization of hacking, increased ransomware attacks, and the expansion of consumer privacy protections. 2020 may herald a new decade — but it comes bearing an already highly charged digital environment. As hackers and adversaries employ increasingly sophisticated attacks, protecting your business in the upcoming year will require preparing for these trends:
1
Increased Privacy Regulations
With 2020 comes the increased protection of consumer data via the enforcement of data privacy regulations. Just as 2018 saw the enforcement of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), January 01, 2020, brings the enforcement of the California Consumer Protection Act (CCPA).
Enforcement of CCPA means that US websites must provide clear privacy policies and a plain-English explanation of how companies use consumer data. While this enforcement might mean anonymity becomes more available, data security will likely remain a salient cybersecurity issue. Because more consumers are now aware that these regulations exist, companies will be expected to implement higher standards of data protection and will have more liability concerns in cases of data theft.
2
Voice Deepfakes Via Phone For Data Theft
Deepfakes may have begun as a satirical political stunt, but their prevalence has stretched far past the political arena and will continue to do so in 2020. Forbes predicts that deepfakes will primarily target corporations. Similar to phishing campaigns, voice-recognition technology will likely lead to phone scams involving fake CFOs or business partners trying to record personnel’s voices for access. Vericlave’s Armored Cloaked Network solution segments data access so that personnel only have access to the specific data they need. The secure enclaves of the Armored Cloaked Network also only allow data to be sent to authorized end points, so that in the unlikely event that malicious actor is able to get inside of the network, it is impossible for them to extract the data.
3
Attacks Outside Companies’ Security Perimeters
Mobile cybersecurity continues to contribute to the cybersecurity landscape with the spread of 5G and remote access proliferation. According to a survey by Owl Labs, 48% of US employees work remotely at least once per week. This decreased definition of network perimeters means remote workers often miss out on the layered cybersecurity systems of their company — but maintain access to company security systems when they return to work on-site.
Since signs of tampering and phishing attacks are often unclear in mobile devices, the attacks of 2020 will likely target remote workers outside of company perimeters, likely via 5G vulnerabilities. Security systems with a far reach will make a significant difference in protecting companies’ systems. Vericlave’s Armored Cloaked Network allows companies to extend their on-site corporate network protections to remote employees.
4
Physical Security and Cybersecurity Merge
With the rise of automation and surveillance in the home with systems like Alexa, Siri, Ring, and Nest, comes the rise of home IoT hackings. In 2020, IoT hackings will give attackers a better ability to inflict physical inconvenience and even harm. Home security systems will need to merge cybersecurity with physical security to provide adequate defense from intruders on- and offline. Even though AI and automation can help fight cybercrime, fooling these systems could provide high rewards for attackers and severe consequences for victims in 2020.
5
Ransomware Targets Industrial Control Systems
With the physical and cybersecurity convergence comes a particularly worrying cybersecurity trend: the biggest target of 2020 ransomware attacks will likely be industrial control systems.
In 2019, more than 70 state and local governments suffered from ransomware attacks. Atlanta alone spent $2.6 million on restoring its systems; Baltimore estimates it will spend $10 million on recovery efforts by year’s end — and that’s not even counting corporate attacks and damages. ProPublica points out that insurance companies have even helped pay off attackers, which has only encouraged infrastructure cybercriminals to continue hacking industrial and governmental infrastructures. In 2020, powerful infrastructure cyber defense will be paramount.
While the consequences of these trends are significant, more robust cybersecurity measures are becoming increasingly available to businesses everywhere. Vericlave’s Armored Cloaked Network was designed to provide a defense-in-depth solution that extends network security to any endpoint, isolates and protects data in secure enclaves, and immediately reduces the addressable attack surface of the network. Learn more, here.