Organizations today rely heavily on the internet and network connectivity to support daily work tasks. However, with this heavy reliance on the internet, cybersecurity concerns are at an all-time high.
In addition to cybersecurity being a top priority, changes in the environment have created more challenges to secure your network. No organization can have poor network security because that will ultimately lead to security vulnerabilities.
Security vulnerabilities can result in cyberattacks and data breaches that cause detrimental consequences to any organization. Some of these ramifications include damaged business reputations, compromised data and lost revenue.
For these reasons, it is important to understand the changes in cyber threats and cybersecurity in order to ensure your network has updated security to keep up with the changing landscape.
COEO understands how important reliable network security is and has delivered thousands of network security solutions, such as SASE, to organizations and has helped them address cybersecurity challenges in a changing landscape.
By the end of this article, you will understand the changes in cyberthreats, the future of cybersecurity, and the best practices for cybersecurity that your organization should implement to keep up with these changes.
The changes in cyberthreats
The cybersecurity landscape is always changing, requiring organizations to constantly update their security. Some of these changes in cybersecurity include:
AI use in the network and cybersecurity
AI technology can bring both positive and negative ramifications to your cybersecurity solutions.
On one hand, many network security measures today use AI to strengthen network authentication mechanisms and access controls, as well as detect and analyze cyberthreats and anomalies more quickly and accurately.
However, while AI can enhance cybersecurity, it can also be used by cybercriminals to exploit network vulnerabilities. Malicious actors and cyber criminals are using AI to help them craft sophisticated and customizable phishing and ransomware attacks.
AI cyberattacks are much more difficult to detect than previous attacks because AI helps make these attacks seem more legitimate and believable.
Cybersecurity skills gap
Only a few decades ago, cybersecurity for a network could be understood and managed by a single person.
Today, however, with the ever-changing landscape of cybersecurity, the technology has become far more complex with many technologies, specialties, and standards, making it challenging for one person to manage.
This challenge has created a cybersecurity skills gap among IT experts. Even the best cybersecurity experts are unable to manage every aspect of the landscape.
These challenges make it difficult for organizations to secure every aspect of their network with less than a full team of IT experts for every element of the landscape.
The rising popularity of ransomware
Most organizations do not have reliable response capabilities for cybersecurity breaches. When cyberattacks happen and your organization does not respond promptly following the attack, it can result in additional consequences.
For example, ransomware incidents have become very frequent. And ransomware requires organizations to pay a fee to restore access to their data.
If your organization does not respond quickly following a ransomware attack, it can result in your data being compromised permanently and sold to other malicious actors or released to the public.
Poor response time can make an already significant cyberattack even worse with greater ramifications.
Vulnerabilities in supply chains
Most organizations receive their network infrastructure from outside providers. However, these vendors and service providers can also be infiltrated and exploited by malicious actors.
Attackers who access data from providers may also gain access to their customers’ or partners’ network infrastructure, leading to further compromised data for customers and partners.
What may have started as a single infiltrated network can result in hundreds of thousands or millions of other organizations being affected, with their data being compromised and networks damaged.
If you would like to speak with our team to learn more about network security or ask any questions you may have, you can schedule an appointment:
Best practices for cybersecurity that organizations should implement to combat changing cyberthreats
Now you should understand the changes in cybersecurity that can create network vulnerabilities.
However, it is also important to understand the best practices for cybersecurity to ensure you prevent network vulnerabilities caused by changing cyberthreats. Some of the cybersecurity best practices include:
Training on AI technology
With AI being so prevalent today, it is important that employees understand AI and how it can have positive and negative effects on your network security.
Employees should learn how to identify malicious uses of AI that can penetrate your network, and how to safely use AI to improve network security.
This can help your IT team watch for potential network security attacks using AI, as well as how to leverage AI for cybersecurity.
Address the cybersecurity skills gap in your organization
As previously mentioned, the changing landscape of cybersecurity has produced a meaningful cybersecurity skills gap.
To address this potential cybersecurity gap, your organization should implement AI technology to reduce the workload in the areas where technology may perform as well as people.
In addition, outsourcing cybersecurity functions to third parties may be beneficial for your organization to receive the skills and knowledge your organization may be lacking.
Lastly, to address gaps in cybersecurity competency, it may be beneficial to offer a variety of cybersecurity training courses to better educate your IT team on the evolution in cyberthreats.
Prepare a response to ransomware and other attacks
Preparation for handling ransomware demands before they happen is important for your organization.
This means that incident responders work closely with security experts, legal counsel, and system administrators to ensure any response goes smoothly and services are restored quickly.
Holding vendors and carriers accountable for security vulnerabilities
Security vulnerabilities in supply chains caused by vendors or providers are typically out of your control.
If your organization’s network is exposed as a result of a data breach to your provider or vendor, it can be difficult to address this issue since it occurred outside of your network.
However, your organization should hold your vendor or provider accountable, and demand increased vigilance in all aspects of their operation to create awareness of potential security issues.
Determining whether your organization should implement these cybersecurity best practices
Now you understand the changes taking place with cyberthreats and the best practices for cybersecurity to combat these changes. This will help you determine how best to secure your network to prevent data breaches and cyberattacks.
No organization can rely on poor network security. This will lead to network vulnerabilities that result in cyberattacks and data breaches.
Cyberattacks and data breaches can create detrimental consequences for organizations, including a damaged business reputation, extended network downtime, sensitive data being compromised, and lost revenue.
For this reason, it is important to understand the changes in cyberthreats and the best practices to help prevent these changing cyberthreats so you can improve cybersecurity and prevent cyberattacks and data breaches.
COEO understands how important cybersecurity is and has helped thousands of organizations with their cybersecurity by providing them with best practices and delivering security solutions such as SASE.
If you would like to speak with our team to learn more about network security or ask any questions you may have, you can schedule an appointment:
