Last week, we focused on Social Engineering, what it looks like and how to defend against it. This week, we are taking a step back and observing the evolving “threat landscape.” The state of Cybersecurity and the threats we all face on a day-to-day basis in the world of technology.
What is a “threat landscape?” Simply put, the threat landscape is an amalgamation of cybersecurity trends and threats across the globe. Common attacks, evolving processes, and new tools being used to exploit vulnerabilities are all part of the ever-changing threat landscape. To better defend ourselves against common attacks and threats, we must better understand where they originate and why.
In 2024, the surge of AI and Machine Learning has played a critical role in the Cybersecurity threat landscape. Not only has AI made leaps and bounds in the defense against cyberattacks, it has also equipped attackers with new tools to rapidly analyze security systems and identify and exploit vulnerabilities. AI automation has made phishing attacks more frequent and sophisticated, making attacks harder to detect and mitigate. Fortunately, not all AI improvements have negatively impacted the Cybersecurity landscape; many defensive tools have begun to utilize AI to detect threats and trends, making attack analysis faster and more accurate.
Social Engineering attacks remain one of the most common and dangerous techniques employed by attackers. 75% – 91% of targeted cyberattacks start with a malicious email, bypassing technical vulnerabilities altogether in favor of exploiting human-error. Technological advances have made social engineering attacks more sophisticated and common in the workplace. This is why Cybersecurity must be the responsibility of all members of the community, and it is our responsibility as a Cybersecurity Team, to ensure our community has the necessary resources and education to better recognize and evade these attacks.
One of the most burdensome cyberattacks is ransomware. A type of malware that disrupts access to systems until a specific request is met, usually in the form of financial compensation for the attacker. Ransomware attacks often begin with social engineering or the exploitation of a known vulnerability within a system, making cyber education and diligence even more important.
Now that we have this information, what can we do with it? The best way to avoid cyber threats is through education and prevention. It’s important for companies to know the risks they face, so they can better identify them when they’re seen in the wild. Through education and recognition of these threats, we can all work together toward better “cyber hygiene,” or best practices regarding the use of the technology that we so depend on. Below are some examples of good cyber hygiene that we can all practice daily:
- Avoid open Wi-Fi networks when traveling
- Use VPNs when able
- Implement and utilize MFA
- Keep software up to date
- Use password managers to store unique passwords for each service
- Limit access to private data
- Report any suspicious emails or other activity to your local IT department or Cybersecurity Team
Ultimately, the biggest threat we face in a world reliant on technology, is a lack of understanding and education of why we take certain security measures, and how we can all work together toward solutions that allow us to go about our daily operations, while keeping attackers at bay.
If you’re interested in learning more about any of the current Cybersecurity threats and how you can help protect against them, The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) offers some great resources for a deeper dive: https://www.cisa.gov/topics/cybersecurity-best-practices