In 2021, there were plenty of factors that led to increased opportunities for cybercriminals. Between remote work, supply chain challenges and a slew of other problems that have cropped up due to the pandemic, cybercriminals have plenty of ways to wreak havoc on organizations like yours.
In its latest report, MIT Technology Review and Mandiant discussed some of the cybersecurity trends we can expect to see in 2022. Here are a handful of predictions that relate to the manufacturers and small-to-midsized businesses (SMBs) 2W Tech proudly serves.
- Increased frequency and expanding tactics – The ransomware threat has grown significantly in the past decade, and it will continue its upward trend. There have been efforts to thwart these threat actors, but cybercriminals can simply sign up with another platform—as part of the Ransomware-as-a-Service (RaaS) model—and continue operations. Threat actors engaged in multifaceted extortion will continue to find more ways to extort payments from their victims. Experts expect to see actors ramp up new tactics in 2022, including trying to recruit insiders within targeted organizations.
- Cyber physical systems increasingly under threat from “n00bs” – In 2021, low sophistication threat actors learned that they could create big impacts in the operational technology (OT) space. These actors will continue to explore the OT space in 2022 and increasingly use ransomware in their attacks because of the need to keep OT environments fully operational, especially when the systems are part of critical infrastructure.
- Cyber outsourcing increases velocity and impact of malicious operations – Outsourcing malicious operations through tools like ransomware affiliate programs, exploit vendors, commercial contractors, malware vendors and freelancers increases the frequency and complexity of cyber threat activity. Along with increasing cyber risks through the quantity, quality and adaptability of malicious operations grows, it also complicates attribution, tracking and distinguishing activity sets.
- More IoT devices means more vulnerabilities and more attack surface – Because IoT devices are all connected to one another, the general attack surface expands with the potential for serious impact. When fixes are released for newly discovered vulnerabilities, the user must take the initiative to update their devices.
Are you prepared to defend your organization from cybercriminals in 2022 and beyond? Whether your cybersecurity posture needs a boost or you’re starting from scratch, 2W Tech can help. We’re an IT consult with numerous cybersecurity experts on staff who can help you strengthen your cybersecurity perimeter. Contact us today for more.
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