In 2019, there certainly was not a lack of publicised security breaches. And given the ever-increasing sophistication of cybercriminals – and the complexity facing the defenders – the threat landscape in 2020 promises all new challenges.
1. Ransomware targets the cloud
Ransomware has become a multi-billion industry for hackers, and over the last decade we’ve seen the challenges of this malware cause havoc across multiple organisations. As with any big-money industry, ransomware will continue to evolve in order to maximise profits. In 2020, it is believed that ransomware will focus on the cloud.
2. Cyber security skills gap to widen
The lack of cyber security has gone mainstream. A day doesn’t go by where we don’t hear of a new data breach, ransomware attack or company network compromise. Meanwhile, consumers have also become aware of how their own personal data privacy contributes to their own security. As a result, it’s no surprise that the demand for cyber security expertise is higher than it’s ever been. Unfortunately, we don’t see this cyber security skills gap lessening in 2020. Demand for skilled cyber security professionals keeps growing, yet we haven’t seen any recruiting and educational changes that will increase the supply. Let’s hope this scarcity of expertise doesn’t result in an increase in successful attacks.
3. 25% of all breaches will happen OUTSIDE the perimeter
The number of remote employees have been on the rise for many years as it comes with convenience as well as other advantages. A recent study found 90% of mid-market businesses have employees working half their week outside the office. While remote working can increase productivity and reduce burnout, it comes with its own set of security risks.
Remote employees work without any network perimeter security, missing out on an important part of a layered security defense. Additionally, mobile devices can often disguise warning signs of phishing attacks and other security threats. We predict that in 2020, 1/4 of all data breaches will involve telecommuters, mobile devices, and off-premise assets.
4. Attackers seeking new vulnerabilities in the 5G/Wi-Fi handover
The newest cellular standard, 5G, is rolling out across the world and promises big improvements in speed and reliability.
Your devices have intelligence built into them to automatically and silently switch between cellular and Wi-Fi. Security researches have exposed some flaws in this cellular-to-Wi-Fi handover process and it’s very likely that we will see a large 5G-to-Wi-Fi security vulnerability be exposed in 2020 that could allow attackers to access the voice and/or data of 5G mobile phones.
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