6 Cybersecurity Threats Headed for Your Business in 2024
Cybersecurity is the practice of protecting computer systems, networks, and data from digital attacks, unauthorized access, or damage. Cybersecurity threats include various malicious activities aimed at compromising data integrity, privacy, and the functionality of digital systems, such as hacking, viruses, and phishing attacks.
Cybersecurity threats are everywhere, and the fast pace of SaaS, cloud services, and automated critical infrastructure has turned what was previously a nuisance into a significant threat. CTOs must protect their tech – no matter the industry or how at-risk you feel, you must anticipate, intercept, and respond to an ever-evolving cybercrime environment.
Understanding Cybersecurity Threats
A cybersecurity threat is any intentional assault on a computer system by malicious actors. These come in all forms, from simple attempts at unauthorized access by a lone actor to massive multi-national assaults on security systems by multiple vectors, including nation-states and non-state organizations. Cloud systems are frequently targeted in these attacks, so it's worth knowing what you're up against.
Types of Cybersecurity Threats
Cybersecurity threats come in many forms, each with its own sneaky way of wreaking havoc. Let's break them down:
- Phishing Attacks: These crafty emails or messages masquerading as legitimate often trick people into handing over sensitive information. They're like digital con artists.
- Malware: This is a broad category that includes viruses, worms, and ransomware. Think of malware as the unwanted intruder that sneaks into your system to steal, damage, or take control.
- Ransomware: A particularly nasty piece of malware. It locks you out of your own data and demands payment for its release. It's like a data kidnapper.
- DDoS Attacks (Distributed Denial of Service): Imagine a flood of traffic overwhelming your system, making it impossible to function. That's what a DDoS attack does – it's a digital traffic jam with malicious intent.
- SQL Injection: This is where attackers exploit a database vulnerability to access hidden data. It's like picking a digital lock.
- Zero-Day Exploits: These are attacks on software vulnerabilities unknown to the vendor. It's like someone finding and exploiting a secret passage before it can be sealed.
Each threat poses a real risk, and they're constantly evolving. Cybersecurity isn't just an IT issue; it's a crucial part of our digital lives. The urgency to protect against these threats has never been greater. Staying informed and vigilant is vital.
The Landscape of Cyber Threats
Since the Morris worm took down vital computer systems in 1988, malicious code has targeted vulnerabilities in protected networks. Worms are especially relevant in the interconnected SaaS world since they can iterate themselves without a host by moving through networks.
Specific Risks for SaaS Platforms
Security risks come in various forms and have varying effects based on what type of infrastructure they're hitting. For example, 43% of organizations say with some confidence that they've had at least one data breach that can be traced back to a misconfiguration of their SaaS system. A further 63% say they can't be sure whether SaaS misconfigurations are to blame.
In contrast, only 17% of breaches have targeted IaaS misconfigurations. Part of this seems to be the prevalence of overly complicated permissions structures that practically guarantee regular unauthorized access attempts. Companies worldwide are currently sitting on top of more than 40 million individual permissions in their various SaaS systems, which might as well be a jungle full of predators as far as data security professionals are concerned.
Even worse are the faulty defense systems many organizations are running. The average company has nearly 4,500 internal user accounts without multi-factor authentication (MFA). Since MFA is arguably the strongest single measure for preventing data breaches, this creates a soft center that can be exploited by basically any hackers who manage to punch through the outer shell.
The unique vulnerability SaaS networks have in common has led to a rise in the shared responsibility model for defending against cyber attacks. This neatly divides the workload between users and cloud providers. While the exact location of the split varies somewhat, the basic model has users taking responsibility for the assets they upload to the cloud while the cybersecurity provider manages security for the cloud-native applications.
Building a Culture of Security Awareness
Good information security starts with having a vigilant team that's wise to the threat they're facing. That starts with elevated threat awareness, which you can approach in various ways. Quarterly or monthly meetings for all staff is a good start, as is an annual training module for everyone. Employees with access to sensitive information should get more frequent reminders and retraining, ideally monthly or more.
The Power of Regular Security Audits
You have to back up your training schedule with regular security audits. This is a fundamental component of most risk management and mitigation strategies. You can do this with reviews of your internal security architecture, along with external attacks by simulated threat actors. Ethical hacking efforts can identify weaknesses and exploits in a way that might not show up with less intensive internal reviews.
Invest in the Right Tools and Technologies
While people are essential, they can only do what their tools will allow them to do. Take the time to invest in cybersecurity software that will genuinely make your networks more secure.
Essential Cybersecurity Tools for SaaS
Some security tools are so basic that everybody should have them. In addition to ultra-obvious stuff like good firewall protection and strong passwords, try these for starters:
- Cloud access security brokers (CASBs)
- Secure web gateways
- ACL Analytics
Think about how you manage your permissions. Plenty of tools exist to help you restrict unauthorized access to sensitive data while allowing fast and safe logins from authorized parties. These tools are available off the shelf from several companies, but they all fall pretty much into the same four baskets:
- Mandatory access control (MAC)
- Role-based access control (RBAC)
- Discretionary access control (DAC)
- Rule-based access control (RBAC or RB-RBAC)
Evaluating and Selecting Security Solutions
As you add security features, it's important not to go hog-wild. A tool is a tool, and the world's most expensive hammer is a paperweight when you need a screwdriver. Only invest in the tools you can use, and narrow the focus to equipping teams rather than manning cool new gadgets.
To that end, you need a way to evaluate security tools as you try them out. Ideally, your metrics will be objective and verifiable by all parties rather than just going with things you like. Focus on a tool's scalability, ability to integrate with your existing operating system and apps, and how well you can use it in a dynamic SaaS ecosystem.
Responding to Cybersecurity Incidents
Okay, so you've gotten set up with some awesome security tools and everybody is paranoid about the company's confidential information. Despite this, there's still a breach, and it's happening right now. What do you do?
Incident Response Planning
Ideally, you'll already have a plan that you can consult in the inevitable emergency. Different types of attacks call for different strategies, and you might need several response plans. That means before you can start responding to the threat, you have to identify it and kick-start your response.
Once you've identified the threat (in this case, a DDoS attack), you must isolate it as quickly as possible. Data compartmentalization is your friend here, like the bulkheads on a sailing ship. With internal firewalls and a quick response, you can generally limit the access an attacker gets and how long they can play on your systems.
The next move is eradication. For a DDoS attack, you might initiate an IP ban. You could shift to reserve servers, alert your cloud services provider, and call law enforcement to initiate their investigation. Wait until the attack is over to start recovery efforts.
Crisis Communication: Internal and External
Communication across stakeholders is crucial here. You might need many people working together in different places to stop the threat effectively. As with the initial detection and response, you should have a plan in place beforehand to set up communications channels ASAP – and include several options with diverse routes so no single pathway can be compromised.
For example, if your internal memo and email systems are under attack, everybody should have a way of identifying that fact and know that you'll be sending text messages instead. In extreme cases, you could even DM your team leaders over social media.
Post-Incident Analysis and Recovery
When it's over, it's time to recover. Restore any lost data, and try to get your website back online. Review logs to see where the harm was done and restore your backups. Set up an after-action briefing on the incident to establish what happened, where the weakness was, and how to improve going forward.
Complying With Industry Regulations and Standards
Governments worldwide love to regulate tech-heavy industries, and a good old-fashioned security incident will get them interested like nobody's business. Be ready to answer some hard questions after a breach.
Understanding GDPR, CCPA, and Other Regulations
California’s Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) and the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) are the gold standard for data security regulations. Both of these are relevant to companies handling information across borders since you're likely to be held to both of them.
Of these, GDPR is probably the most restrictive, as it sets six specific legal bases on which a company can handle consumer data. The CCPA doesn't do this but requires all data handling to be lawful and not fraudulent. The EU's rule is regulatory only, while California has regulators and a statutory code to work from.
Then there's HIPAA. If your enterprise touches medical records in the United States, the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act imposes standards and sanctions for healthcare information held by private entities.
Stay Safe in 2024!
The landscape of cybersecurity threats poses new challenges to organizations daily. To deepen your understanding of how to counter these threats, exploring a range of insightful cybersecurity books can provide foundational knowledge and advanced strategies essential for any tech leader's arsenal.
Staying ahead of these threats requires not only up-to-date knowledge but also a community of informed leaders sharing insights and strategies. There are many noteworthy cybersecurity resources available for you to learn more. For CTOs and tech leaders at the forefront of cybersecurity innovation and defense, join our newsletter for expert advice and cutting-edge solutions in cybersecurity.
FAQs: Enhancing Your Cybersecurity Strategy
What Are the First Steps to Take After Identifying a Cyber Threat?
You can’t fight what you haven’t found. Start by identifying the fact that an attack is ongoing or imminent, then isolate it to limit the damage it can do. Implement your emergency containment plan and try to stop the attack. Finally, schedule a debrief for the security team to work out what happened, what went wrong, and what went right.
How Can I Convince Stakeholders to Invest in Cybersecurity?
Stakeholders have an interest in the continued profitability and functionality of your enterprise. Simply reeling off the stats about how common attacks are and how expensive they can be is enough for most people. If you’re still not all the way there, try to come up with a few relatively affordable upgrades, such as installing MFA on your Wi-Fi networks, then reporting on how successful they’ve been.
What is a Common Cybersecurity Myth?
By far the most common cybersecurity myth is that cybercriminals have no reason to attack your network. Even if you don’t handle credit cards or national security information, it’s pretty likely you have at least some sensitive information that’s worth a few dollars. Hackers looking for financial gain will always be motivated to crack your systems.