11 Big Predictions for Cybersecurity in 2022
Yasmin Duggal, Cybersecurity Content Specialist, Netacea
4 minutes read
Cybersecurity ramps up in 2022
After the Covid-19 pandemic accelerated digital transformation and shifted businesses to online first, cyber-attackers exploited a broader, more sophisticated attack vectors.
The rollout of 5G, reliance on supply chains, and increased use of application programming interfaces (APIs) means businesses have more cyber-related vulnerabilities.
Pair this with increasing professionalization of malicious cyber-groups and online demand for designer items, and you have cyber-attacks against retailers growing in volume and speed. Digital currency in the form of crypto and non-fungible tokens (NFTs) further compounds the issue as bots set their sights on new targets.
But it’s not only businesses at risk; the use of geopolitical bots in information warfare means entire nations face damage from automated threats.
Let’s examine Netacea’s 11 cybersecurity predictions for 2022 to help your business stay one step ahead of cyber-attackers.
Netacea cybersecurity predictions 2022
Cyber-attackers will exploit new attack vectors
Attackers will continue to take advantage of supply chains and third parties
Adversaries are keen to use this method, compromising one supplier with relatively weak security to then amplify this attack into breaches of multiple related organizations.
Ransomware attacks to grow in volume
Attackers are developing the so-called ‘ransomware marketplace’ and specializations are developing where brokers sell access to compromised networks, and offer Ransomware as a Service (RAAS).
Cell phones create new opportunities for attacker
The rollout of 5G and increase in the power and capabilities of cell phones will allow for new and faster attacks against mobile devices, increasing the value to attackers who use them as a launchpad or botnet for future exploits.
Apis increasingly become attack vector
With many businesses starting to implement protection to secure their APIs in response to an increasing number of cyber-attacks, adversaries seek to exploit the little understood and often insecure API landscape.
Bot operators will continue to professionalize
Scalper bots lower barrier to entry
The scalper bot ecosystem is developing rapidly and becoming professionalized, with more advanced groups registering themselves as formal companies and bot training offered to individuals.
Bots set their sights on new targets
Bot developers are offering their skills to those who want to profit from other industry verticals, for example, using sniper bots to snap up NFTs on auction sites for millions of dollars.
Residential proxy networks will be utilized more
Adversaries will continue to route their traffic through home computers and mobile devices to make bot traffic look legitimate. Often, companies are reluctant to block large swathes of IPs associated with private residences for fear of blocking legitimate customers, and so have little answer to this type of attack.
Increasing professionalization of bot attackers
Inspired by lockdown and the low risk and high profits of bot attacks, many more people have started using bots for their own gain. This has driven many bot groups to professionalize, recruiting employees, registering as formal companies and offering skills training.
Global affairs will mean more cybercrime
Information warfare, rhet-ops and involvement in elections
Bots are a valuable tool in information warfare, with advanced bots able to track, repost, comment on, and even generate credible, human-sounding posts on social media to spread propaganda to influence people.
Cryptocurrency will be a focal point for cyber-attacks globally
Over the latter half of 2021, there has been an uptick in attacks related to cryptocurrencies. With the amount of money that can be stolen in a single exploit, we expect to see more attacks on decentralized currencies.
Greater government involvement in cybersecurity
Following concerns during the COVID-19 pandemic of cyber-attacks against vital infrastructure, governments are considering how private enterprises can help national security, how vulnerable they are to attack, and what impact this has on the public. This means more hands-on involvement regulating security and international collaboration policing cyber-space.
To learn more about our 2022 cyber-predictions, download the full Netacea 2022 Cybersecurity Predictions Report.
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