Cybersecurity has been a major concern for many people for a very long time. Due to recent instances like the COVID-19 epidemic, cybercrimes have become more severe and widespread during the previous two years. Cybercrimes will get more sophisticated in the upcoming years.
Proactive defense is the key to avoiding a cybersecurity attack. Here is a list of the top cybersecurity threats for 2023, as determined by experts. Find out how you may shield yourself from being a victim, as well as your business.
- Human factor and social engineering – is a deceptive process where crackers “engineer” or design a social situation to trick others into allowing them access to an otherwise closed network. Because it relies more on human error than technical flaws, it’s still one of the most dangerous hacking strategies used by cybercriminals. Tricking a person is far simpler than breaking into a security system. 85 percent of all data breaches involve human involvement, according to Verizon’s study on data breach investigations.
Social engineering assaults like hacking and email scamming are projected to continue to develop in 2023 by integrating new patterns, technology, and methods. Attacks targeting cryptocurrency increased by roughly 200 percent between October 2020 and April 2021.
- Third-Party Involvement – By breaking into less secure networks belonging to third parties who have privileged access to the hacker’s principal target, cybercriminals can circumvent security measures.
In 2021, for instance, hackers obtained personal data from over 214 million accounts on Facebook, Instagram and Linkedin. The hackers were able to obtain the data by getting into Socialarks, a third party contractor that was employed by all three companies and had unique access to their networks.
The risk of third-party breaches will increase in 2023 as more companies turn to independent contractors to complete duties that were formerly handled by full-time employees.
- Configuration Error – Even security systems installed and configured by professionals almost certainly have at least one mistake. 80% of external penetration tests in a series of 268 attempts by cybersecurity software vendor Rapid7 came upon an exploitable misconfiguration.
The COVID-19 pandemic’s ongoing combined effects will be felt in 2023. The number of careless errors that employees do at work is anticipated to rise as a result of socio- political upheavals and continued financial duress, providing more opportunity for cybercriminals to profit.
- Poor Online behavior – This refers to customary routines and procedures for using technology, such as avoiding open WiFi networks and putting security measures in place like a VPN or multifactor authentication. Only 37% of people utilize two-factor authentication for personal accounts, and nearly 60% of organizations rely on human memory to manage passwords. In Nigeria, it took the banning of twitter in 2020 for most of us to realize what a two-factor authentication means.
In 2022(which will continue in 2023), insecure home networks are now used to access systems with weak passwords. Businesses and individuals who don’t update their cyber procedures run a lot more risk than they did in the past.
- Cloud Fragility – Contrary to popular belief, cloud security has actually declined with time: according to IBM statistics, cloud vulnerabilities have increased by 150 percent over the last five years. Over 90% of the 29,000 breaches analyzed in the report were caused by web app breaches. With a 41% increase over the previous years, cloud security is presently the segment of the cybersecurity market with the greatest growth.
Greater growth = Increased attacks.
It might be difficult to keep up with the latest cybersecurity dangers and take appropriate precautions. We at West Sealand International have created a more secure cyber environment because of the countless hackers working around the clock to create new attack techniques. Through continuous skill and capacity development, we promote a cybersecurity culture and awareness.
Don’t know where to begin? Reach out to us today, email us at info@wsi.ng for more information. You can also find us on our social media platforms;
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So get in touch with us today to get your security strengthened.