At the beginning of 2022, there was a surge in job opportunities in the technology industry. By the end of the year, however, many of the industry’s big players, like Meta, Microsoft, and Amazon, had begun cutting staff hiring amid concerns about the state of the global economy, falling ad sales, inflation, and rising interest rates. On the other hand, cybersecurity seems to be unaffected by these developments. Some forecasts suggest that 700,000 security industry jobs will be available in the United States alone by the end of the year.
While the number of cybersecurity job openings for computer professionals has remained relatively flat, the sector as a whole and the types of cyberattacks that can be launched against companies of all sizes are constantly evolving. Ransomware, for example, remains a concern, even though multiple players have been identified and new tactics discovered nearly every week.
Cybersecurity experts and industry observers are paying close attention to several trends that have the potential to influence technology and security professionals over the next year and affect how they approach their jobs and career goals. The year 2023 has just flipped on the calendar. It takes a combination of foresight, dexterity, and adaptability to protect an organization while facilitating its operations. To prepare for 2023 and beyond, IT leaders should focus on the following five areas, although no organization is completely immune from attack and “expecting the unexpected” is the only prediction that can be relied on with absolute certainty .
The following is a look at five cybersecurity trends that IT pros need to keep an eye on over the next year.
Ransomware is getting worse
In 2022, ransomware was still a lucrative type of cybercrime as hackers used phishing attacks and other forms of social engineering to penetrate the computer systems of public and private companies. It seemed that no one was protected, from people to hospitals to large corporations and back again.
Keep a close eye on the development of quantum computing
Although quantum computing may still seem like an idea from the distant future, security experts warn that the technology will continue to improve and quantum will likely become a security issue at some point in the future.
The White House issued an executive order on quantum computing in 2022, addressing the potential dangers the technology can pose. Congress is currently considering legislation related to this technology, and many government organizations, including the Department of Homeland Security and the National Institute of Standards and Technology, have set up working groups to study the issue. And while quantum will likely remain the domain of governments and highly specialized tech companies, professionals in cybersecurity and technology still need to keep up with the latest advances.
The implementation of Zero Trust will continue to expand
Anyone who works in information technology or security and was familiar with the term “zero trust” from the previous year can expect to hear a lot more about the idea in 2023.
As more organizations rethink their approach to information security, there is increasing demand for a strategy known as “zero trust,” which abandons the ideas of a security perimeter and trusted identity. Even Vice President Joe Biden’s administration has made it clear that they are on board with the idea.
Protecting consumer identity will lead to the development of new strategies
In mid-2022, Meta began the process of resolving a complaint alleging the company had participated in the unlawful sale of customer data to political analytics firm Cambridge Analytica. In the fall, Google agreed to pay more than $392 million to settle a forty-state lawsuit. Additionally, a consumer advocacy group filed a lawsuit against Apple in early November, claiming that the company’s apps continue to follow users even after users have taken active steps to disable the feature. A consumer advocacy group has filed a lawsuit against Amazon alleging that Alexa-enabled devices unlawfully recorded private conversations and then sold the data extracted from those conversations for financial gain.
The way consumer marketing, government agencies, financial institutions and other types of businesses deal with privacy issues will be the focus of discussion in 2023. Security leaders around the world — and increasingly the C-suite — will be tasked with solving a consumer conundrum: while evidence is mounting that consumers are concerned about the privacy of personal information, multiple surveys show that about four of five consumers are willing to share personal information in exchange for value or experience. The solution to this consumer riddle will fall on the shoulders of security experts around the world.
Deepfakes just keep getting better
Deepfakes can be humorous, as in the case of a video that appeared to show President Biden singing “Baby Shark,” or sinister, as in the case of former FTX CEO Sam Bankman-Fried’s fake video used as a ruse mislead investors.
Motivation aside, deepfakes are becoming increasingly difficult to identify, posing a greater security risk for researchers trying to identify fraud and fraud.
The 2022 Scamdemic will evolve into the 2023 Scamdemic.
As cybercriminals targeted people around the world during the 2022 “Scamdemic,” a variety of deceptive schemes were perpetrated, including those involving love affairs, Covid-19, tech assistance, and more. It’s possible that this is at least partly due to the fact that cybercrime prevention software has become increasingly sophisticated, making people easier targets than devices.
Criminals operating online are becoming increasingly sophisticated
Cybercrime is first and foremost a business, we have made that clear in the past and will do it again now. Furthermore, similar to other types of businesses, it is constantly evolving and adapting. In 2022, we saw increasing professionalization in the form of conglomerate formation and even the deployment of a bug bounty program by a ransomware organization. Much more worrying, however, is the fact that cybercriminals have started recruiting new members in online communities frequented by young people. Additionally, cybercriminal organizations have begun paying ordinary individuals for assistance in their criminal activities, a trend that Salat expects will continue to be widespread in 2023.
Information security specialist, currently working as a risk infrastructure specialist and investigator.
15 years of experience in risk and control processes, security audit support, business continuity design and support, workgroup management and information security standards.
