CYBER SECURITY AND ITS EFFECT ON TECHNOLOGIES

The year 2020 is overwhelmed with the COVID-19. But the virus isn’t the only threat to our security. 2020 is also set to revolutionize the world with advancements that will shape the future of lives and businesses, alike. We now have 5G and many other technologies to Artificial Intelligence, Cloud technology, and Machine Learning. These technologies will become an integral part of our daily lives in creating efficiency, saving time, reducing costs, and unlocking new opportunities.

Modern technology is set to increase the amount of data we create online, and protecting this data will be one of the defining arcs of this decade. From system security to network security, businesses will face challenges in optimizing their cybersecurity to prevent dangerous attacks from being successful.

AI and ML based cybersecurity can’t be ignored

As the Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence market grow, their application in different business operations, systems, and infrastructure will be a challenge to overcome. These technologies are incredibly resource-intensive and will require significant efforts to make them secure against potential attacks.

AI and ML based devices and software have to be trained with the help of data, and experts will have to keep a keen eye on the kind of data that is being used. Data duping to corrupt the learning process of the Machine Learning algorithm can be injected to hamper the training process.

This can lead to the algorithm seemingly working fine but producing wrong results, which could, in the case of analytical products and applications, cost businesses millions of dollars.

How experts monitor and analyze the data will play a crucial part in the future of AI and ML since the data set being used can be a security vulnerability that will have to be dealt with.

In the current climate, this is a less severe issue due to AI and ML operating in specialized environments, but once businesses begin to scale these processes, there are bound to be vulnerabilities.

When processes such as threat analysis and data review become completely automated, malicious actors could exploit these processes to misguide companies and manipulate results without any obviously apparent problems. Furthermore, the technology itself can be used to discover new vulnerabilities, breakthrough security measures, and tools, and penetrate systems through the same algorithm that is being used to protect networks.

Is Phishing Over?

Though technology is evolving rapidly in the digital landscape, cybersecurity experts will have to deal with phishing attacks. These attacks are often targeted to penetrate a network or infect the users of the network itself.

Though phishing is a generally well-known attack, hackers and malicious actors are becoming smarter and their attacks are becoming more and more sophisticated. So like 2019, security measures against Phishing will also be necessary for 2020 as well.

Exploits such as email phishing are hard to eliminate since you can’t really disable emails altogether, and hackers know that. Phishing is also an easier way to get inside a network as opposed to other modern hacks, such as exploiting a zero-day vulnerability.

Companies today have to be always aware of these phishing emails since they only take one wrong click by someone with access to admin credentials on a network to open a backdoor that allows malicious actors to get in, take control, and corrupt the company’s network.

The problem that most experts face is that there is no one solution to stop phishing attacks from succeeding. At the end of the day, these attacks can boil down to a reckless click, human error, and lack of knowledge.

The future is Cloud!!

The future of Windows seems to be shifting towards a cloud-based platform. Cloud PCs will work similarly to how other cloud-based platforms and services work. Most likely, users will have to pay a subscription to gain access to a pre-set app bundle to run on the PC.

What makes Microsoft more interesting is their adoption of Linux and transitioning towards a Linux-based operating system.

Sounds confusing, right? Well, you need to grasp hold of it if you are planning to continue using any resources from Microsoft shortly.

The future of Windows might stay the same on the front-end, with cloud-based PCs providing a similar UI to the Windows OS we’ve grown up accustomed to, but on the back-end, Microsoft might deploy a full-Linux setup.

How to Protect Yourself?

Use an Internet Security Suite:

If you know anything at all about a computer and the internet, the chances are very high that you might be using an antivirus already (And if not then do not take the risk unless you are seasoned cybersecurity professional with data backups in place). An antivirus program combined with an internet security program set helps you in:

1. Avoiding malicious downloads done by mistake

2. Avoiding malicious installs done by mistake

3. Preventing from being a victim to Man In The Middle attack

4. Protection from phishing

Protection from damage that trojan horses may cause. Some Trojan Horses are built in a way that the majority of the code is for doing useful and seemingly innocent things while a small portion does something nasty like acting as a backdoor or escalating privileges.

Avoid Identity Theft:

Identity theft is when someone else uses your personal information to impersonate you on any platform to gain benefits in your name while the bills are addressed for you. It’s just an example, identity theft can cause you to damage more serious than financial losses.

The most common reason for identity theft is improper management of sensitive personal data. There are some things to be avoided when dealing with personally identifiable data:

Never share your Aadhar / PAN number (In India) with anyone whom you do not know or trust.

Never share your password back account codes with anyone whom you do not know or trust.

Do not post sensitive data on social networking sites.

Keep Your Software Up-to-Date:

Despite the developer’s best intention to create secure software and thorough reviews from the security teams, there are unfortunately many zero-days that are revealed once the software is being used by a large user base. Companies are well aware of this fact and that is why they release frequent updates to patch these vulnerabilities. This is the reason why those updates, however annoying they may be, are important. They help in preventing attacks that can easily skip the radar of the antivirus programs on your computer.

LAST BUT NOT LEAST

The future is digital, there is no denying in it, but simply focusing on the possible benefits isn’t going to cut it. For businesses, it is crucial to realize their responsibility towards consumers and take the necessary steps to ensure data protection and other cybersecurity avenues.

It is also vital for them to focus strongly on the security of their own platforms, services, and products to ensure that the adoption of modern technology drives positive results. The technologies we’ve talked about have great potential, but the journey into the world of technology requires avid preparation to ensure security and safety.

Businesses today have to invest more into optimizing their security, create new strategies, implement new infrastructure, and leverage modern tools to ensure that they are ready to fight any cyber-threats that may come in their way.

Stay protected!