The Five Biggest Cyber Security Trends In 2022

THE 5 BIGGEST CYBER SECURITY
TRENDS IN 2022

© 2021 Bernard Marr, Bernard Marr & Co. All rights reserved
THE 5 BIGGEST CYBER SECURITY TRENDS IN
2022
Cyber security is evolving rapidly and is becoming one of today's most
important technology areas. In 2022, we will see many new developments
and advances. Here are some trends that will reshape the cyber security
space over the next year.

The changed world we’ve found ourselves living in since the global pandemic struck in
2020 has been particularly helpful to cybercriminals. Nothing illustrates this so well as the
SolarWinds hack, described by Microsoft president Brad Smith as the most sophisticated
cyberattack of all time, the reverberations of which have been felt throughout 2021.
Homeworking, the ongoing digitization of society, and the increasingly online nature of our
lives mean opportunities about for phishers, hackers, scammers, and extortionists. As we
head into 2022, there is, unfortunately, no sign of this letting up. This is why it's essential
for individuals and businesses to be aware of the ever-growing avenues of attack as well as
what can be done to mitigate the risks!

So let’s take a look at the most important and significant trends affecting our
online security in the next year and beyond while throwing in some practical
steps we can all take to avoid becoming victims:

TREND 1: AI-POWERED CYBERSECURITY
Similar to the way in which it is used in financial services for fraud detection,
artificial intelligence (AI) can counteract cybercrime by identifying patterns of
behavior that signify something out-of-the-ordinary may be taking place.
Crucially, AI means this can be done in systems that need to cope with
thousands of events taking place every second, which is typically where
cybercriminals will try to strike.

It's the predictive powers of AI that make it so useful here, which is why more and more
companies will be investing in these solutions as we go into 2022. Unfortunately,
cybercriminals are also aware of the benefits of AI, and new threats are emerging that use
technologies like machine learning to evade the protective measures of cybersecurity. This
makes AI even more essential – as it’s the only hope of counteracting AI-powered cyber-
attacks!
Research by Capgemini recently found two-thirds of businesses now believe AI is necessary
to identifying and countering critical cybersecurity threats, and nearly three-quarters of
businesses are using or testing AI for this purpose.

TREND 2: THE GROWING THREAT OF RANSOMWARE
According to the UK National Cyber Security Centre, there were three times as many
ransomware attacks in the first quarter of 2021 as there were in the whole of 2019. And
research by PwC suggests that 61% of technology executives expect this to increase in
2022. Once again, we can largely blame this on the pandemic, and the growth in the
amount of activity carried out online and in digital environments.
Ransomware typically involves infecting devices with a virus that locks files away behind
unbreakable cryptography and threatens to destroy them unless a ransom is paid, usually
in the form of untraceable cryptocurrency. Alternatively, the software virus may threaten
to publish the data publicly, leaving the organization liable to enormous fines.

Ransomware is typically deployed through phishing attacks – where employees of an
organization are tricked into providing details or clicking a link that downloads the
ransomware software (sometimes called malware) onto a computer. However, more
recently, a direct infection via USB devices by people who have physical access to machines
is becoming increasingly common. Worryingly there has been an increase in these types of
attacks targeting critical infrastructure, including one at a water treatment facility that briefly
managed to alter the chemical operations of the facility in a way that could endanger lives.
Other ransomware attacks have targeted gas pipelines and hospitals.
Education is the most effective method of tackling this threat, with research showing that
employees who are aware of the dangers of this type of attack are eight times less likely to
fall victim.

TREND 3: THE INTERNET OF VULNERABLE THINGS
The number of connected devices – known as the internet of things (IoT) is forecast to
reach 18 billion by 2022. One consequence of this is a hugely increased number of
potential access points for cybercriminals looking to gain access to secure digital systems.
The IoT has long been recognised as a specific threat – attacks that have been identified
in the past include hackers using connected household appliances like fridges and kettles
to get access to networks, and from there go on to access computers or phones where
valuable data could be stored.

As well as more widespread, in 2022 the IoT is also getting more sophisticated. Many
organizations are now engaged in the development of "digital twins” – comprehensive digital
simulations of entire systems or even businesses. These models are often connected to
operational systems in order to model data gathered by them and may offer a treasure trove of
data and access points to those with nefarious intentions.
In 2022 we will undoubtedly continue to see attacks on IoT devices increase. Edge computing
devices – where data is operated on as close as possible to the point it is collected – as well as
centralized cloud infrastructure is all vulnerable. Once again, education and awareness are two of
the most useful tools when it comes to protecting against these vulnerabilities. Any cybersecurity
strategy should always include a thorough audit of every device that can be connected or given
access to a network and a full understanding of any vulnerabilities it may pose.

TREND 4: CYBER-SECURITY RISK AND EXPOSURE A KEY
FACTOR IN PARTNERSHIP DECISIONS
Any cybersecurity operation is only as secure as its weakest link, which means
organizations increasingly see every link in a supply chain as a potential
vulnerability. Due to this, businesses will increasingly use cybersecurity resilience
and exposure as a determining factor in choosing who they will partner with.
This is borne out by Gartner's research which predicts that, by 2025, 60% of
organizations with use cybersecurity risk as a "primary determinant” when choosing
who to conduct business with.

With more legislation following in the wake of the European General Data Protection
Regulation (GDPR), such as the Chinese Personal Information Protection Law and the
Californian Consumer Privacy Act, more organizations are at risk of potentially huge
penalties if they make information security slip-ups. This means every partner that
potentially has access to an organization's data or systems will be rigorously vetted.
Businesses that aren’t able to answer questions about their cybersecurity arrangements or
ratings will increasingly find themselves out in the cold. In fact, Garner predicts that
industry-standard security rating schemes like SecurityScorecard, Black Kite, or UpGuard
will become as important to companies as credit rating agencies.

TREND 3: REGULATION STARTING TO CATCH UP WITH RISK
For years, cybercriminals have acted with the knowledge that understanding – let alone
policing – of their activities is weak due to the fast-changing nature of technology. With the
cost of cybercrime to global economies set to top $6 trillion in 2021, this isn’t a situation that is
sustainable. According to Security Magazine, 2022 is set to be the year when regulators pull
out the stops in order to get on top of the situation. One consequence of this could be an
expansion of penalties that currently only cover breach and loss to also cover vulnerabilities
and exposure to potential damage. Another may be an increasing number of jurisdictions
passing laws relating to making payments in response to ransomware attacks. We could also
see a growing number of legal obligations handed to Chief Information Security Officers, in
line with the responsibilities of Chief Financial Officers, in an attempt to limit the impact of data
thefts, losses, and breaches on customers.

While this will inevitably increase the burden of those responsible for information
security in businesses, in the long term, this will only be a good thing. Today, more
than ever, building consumer trust is essential for organizations that want us to
give them the privilege of access to our valuable personal information.

Read more about these and other future trends in my books, Business Trends in
Practice: The 25+ Trends That are Redefining Organizations and Tech Trends In
Practice: The 25 Technologies That Are Driving The 4th Industrial Revolution.

© 2021 Bernard Marr , Bernard Marr & Co. All rights reserved
Bernard Marr is an internationally best-selling author, popular keynote speaker,
futurist, and a strategic business & technology advisor to governments and
companies. He helps organisations improve their business performance, use data
more intelligently, and understand the implications of new technologies such as
artificial intelligence, big data, blockchains, and the Internet of Things.
LinkedIn has ranked Bernard as one of the world’s top 5 business influencers. He is
a frequent contributor to the World Economic Forum and writes a regular column for
Forbes. Every day Bernard actively engages his 1.5 million social media followers
and shares content that reaches millions of readers.

hello@bernardmarr.com
www.bernardmarr.com

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