2018 Cyber Security Predictions
Cyber security is defined as the body of technologies, processes and practices designed to protect networks, computers, programs and data from attack, damage or unauthorized access.
In the first six months of 2017 alone, 233 breach incidents were reported to the Department of Health and Human Services. As we know, technology is changing at a rapid pace. It is safe to say that the number of incidents have possibly doubled in the last six months of the year.
In 2016, we had multiple predictions for 2017s cyber security that actually came true. There were greater attacks on apps and there was a rise in the use of ransomware. With technology on the rise, there are bigger expectations for cyber security in 2018.
Now that we are in the new year, I can’t help but wonder how many of thhe following predictions will actually come true:
- Increase in mobile phone spam
In the last 10 years, the technology surrounding our mobile phones have expanded beyond belief. At this point in time there isn’t much your phone can’t do for you. It is predicted that mobile phone spam will rise 10,000% due to automated spam in the form of SMS spam (junk messages delivered via SMS) and spam calls. Phone spoofing is primarily to blame for the growing number of spam-related calls worldwide. Spoofing allows spam callers to use things like your actual area code to make you believe the call is legitimate. It is predicted that spam calls will increasingly worsen, prompting phone companies to allow end users to OPT-OUT of receiving calls other than those in their contact lists.
2. Giving Priority to the Cloud
As of November 2017, cloud services are now on NASCIO’S 2018 priority list. In 2018, it is predicted that companies will make decisions on exactly which cloud vendors demonstrate the greatest understands. They will really focus on finding vendors that understand their needs, their business opportunities, and assist with finding enterprises that are more aware and faster moving than ever before. The cloud has finally become a mature product. Successful companies are shying away from trying things that are new or things that are in — they want something that’s proven to work, a product that’s mature. More businesses are moving to the cloud than ever before because it gives everyone access to enterprise cloud technology. Small business operation seems faster with cloud integration and are definitely more established as cloud services are a major step in company advancement.
3. Continued Growth in the Use of Ransomware and Cyber Xxtortion Tools
It was absolutely clear that in 2017, ransomware and cyber extortion tools are hit stronger and harder than ever before. In 2017 alone there were multiple ransomware attacks which were completely devastating including NotPetya, which costs pharmaceutical giant, Merek, more than $300 million in Q3 alone! It is predicted that in 2018, ransomware will continue to cause data loss and extreme intellectual property theft. Cyber thieves have become masters at encrypting files. Most of time, the only way to get those files back are to restore a backup or pay the ransom — usually around $500 dollars. As we all know, back up files are not always the most reliable. Paying the ransom is sometimes easier than re-doing thousands of hours of work. The problem is, these sophisticated hackers make them more successful every day.
4. Major Healthcare Breach
2017 was no different from the many years before it when it comes to healthcare breaches. In December, The Identity Theft Resource Center reported that there were a total of 1,222 breaches that year. Although we know that companies are expected to invest in the best cyber security in 2018, it’s predicted that 2018 will also hold the biggest healthcare breaches to date. Healthcare has always been one of the top targets for hackers. Healthcare records not only include sacred health care information, it also includes the home address and social security numbers of millions people. These are things that can make hackers thousands on the black market. In 2017, a hacker claimed to have stolen data from three different organizations and held 10 million patient records for ransom. It is predicted that in 2018, we will see more records released for people of power including government officials.
5. Security Challenges to Crypto Currencies
Are you familiar with Bitcoin? Bitcoin is a semi-new currency that was created in 2009. Bitcoin, along with other CryptoCurrencies, is basically the currency of the future. But how safe is it really? CryptoCurrencies have become a real global phenomenon known to most. This is because neither transactions nor accounts are linked to real world identities. At first, though you would think this is great. But the truth is, CryptoCurrency has been, and is expected to continue to be, an open avenue for hackers. In 2017, there was a $70M Bitcoin hack and multiple digital wallets were completely emptied. In the eight years that CryptoCurrency has been around, hundreds of exchange heists have taken place. CryptoCurrency companies such as Ethereum, Bitcoin Cash, Ripple, and Litecoin, have a capital market of over $1B! So, of course, this is an appetizing target for hackers. According to Forbes, 2018 hackers are expected to hold more CryptoCurrency identities for ransom than ever before. Even with these hacks totaling billions, CryptoCurrency is still extremely popular. However, we predict that in 2018, one major attack against CryptoCurrency will be so damaging and costly, there will be no way for the online currency exchange to redeem itself.
We are living in a world where everything we do includes technology. It’s so important that we do what we can to keep our personal information, that of our families, and our monies safe ! We, as a whole, can decrease the chances of these cyber security predictions coming true.
