Cybersecurity Trends for 2022

Cybersecurity will continue to be a major concern in 2022. Malicious and accidental threats, along with increasingly strict data regulations and more creative and sophisticated attackers, will be some of the important topics to be informed about.

To be informed is to be protected.

Here are some of the cybersecurity trends for 2022 that Integrity experts have identified:

1. Increased attacks on global supply chains

Supply chains are interconnected systems with the objective of delivering products or services to companies or consumers in various areas. These supply chains are flows that take advantage of trust relationships established between its peers, and it is precisely in these links that attackers have been focusing to cause disruption and exploit vulnerabilities in systems and organisations.

2. Increased attacks on Internet of Things (IoT) devices

The Internet of Things (IoT) is no longer a distant reality. It’s already part of our lives: from scales, fitness trackers, refrigerators, cars, lamps, among others.

The reality is that these devices “cohabit” on our networks with other more traditional devices like our computers and data. However, these devices open new “doors and windows” that are often not robust compared to a computer or a mobile phone.

By 2022, the trend to emerge from new devices will continue, as will demand for new weaker links from cyberattackers.

Discover how to avoid disasters in the IoT

3. Artificial Intelligence will grow

Artificial intelligence (AI) is the ability of a machine to reproduce human-like skills such as reasoning, learning, planning and creativity.

In recent years, there has been constant evolution and AI is becoming increasingly predictive, which means that AI is learning not only where data vulnerabilities exist now, but also where it will occur tomorrow. AI is a great promise to detect patterns of online behavior that may indicate a potential attack about to happen. However, AI can also be used by cybercriminals when finding vulnerabilities in its development and implementation, so a demanding scrutiny is needed in its implementation.

4. Growing demand for cybersecurity talent

The challenges organisations increasingly face related to information-sharing security, need knowledge and the ability to create programs to identify and mitigate vulnerabilities in the most effective and efficient way.

The industry’s growth trend and increased job opportunities in cybersecurity will maintain its growing trend in 2022.

5. Challenge in managing security on local networks

In the last two years remote work has increased exponentially posing enormous security challenges in accessing data and management tools. In 2022, this challenge is expected to remain up to IT and cybersecurity teams to ensure the continuity of business in security.

6. Focus on cybersecurity training and education | The Human Factor

The success of balanced cybersecurity management does not depend solely on technology and processes. Users, i.e., each of us, should act as a natural extension of core cybersecurity teams.

The need for awareness, training, education and updating of users will be a strong continuous need in the years to come.

7. Ransomware will evolve

Ransomware will be one of the main trends in 2022, the creativity and audacity of cybercriminals will be in the spotlight. We have already seen the use of third party extortion techniques and in the near future we will see new methods. The techniques of cybercriminals in ransomware will evolve, such as the case of the ransomware of double extortion, a monumental cyberthreat even more challenging. In a double-extorting ransomware attack, the data is first extracted and then encrypted; therefore, if victims refuse to pay the ransom, the data will be disclosed online or may even be sold by the highest offer.

Discover 7 Tips to prevent ransomware attacks

8. Regulation is advancing

In Europe, many governments want to increase cybersecurity control by 2022. In recent times we have seen a number of measures put forward by the European Commission and the High Representative for Security Policy to strengthen cybersecurity in the EU in order to bring Europe together with appropriate tools to deal with cyberattacks. These measures include the “Cybersecurity Regulation”, which assigns TO ENISA, the European Union Agency for Cybersecurity, an important operational role in combating this problem. It has also established a new European certification system to ensure that products and services in the digital world are more securely used. More information here.

9. Mobile devices as point of attack

The last decade has been defined by the massification of the use of mobile devices as a productive source and more agile and versatile access to users. However, this trend has also brought new difficulties in the context of cybersecurity, since it is a new vector of potential vulnerability and with a very strong growth.

Mobile security, resiliency, as well as the reliability and security of mobile apps will be a topic on the agenda of cybersecurity managers in 2022.

10. Cloud Security

Cloud adoption by a significant proportion of online resources has been a strong trend, addressing issues of efficiency, effectiveness and agility. However, attackers are also conscious to this context and there has been a trend of articulation in the world of cybercrime oriented to exploit infrastructure vulnerabilities and systems management in the Cloud.

In 2022, the resilience and solidification of organisations’ Cloud management and security controls will be a trend.