23 Cybersecurity Predictions for 2023

The Road Ahead Will Be Challenging

As we head into 2023, cybersecurity is even more important heading into 2023 for a number of reasons. First, the cost of cyber attacks is increasing. According to a recent study, the average cost of a data breach is over $3 million. This can be financially devastating for businesses, particularly small and medium-sized enterprises. In addition, a cyber attack can damage a company's reputation and lead to lost customers.

Second, the threat of cyber attacks is constantly evolving as attack surfaces continue to grow and threat vectors are increasing. This makes for a dangerous mix. Attackers are constantly developing new tactics and technologies to bypass cybersecurity measures. This means that businesses need to be constantly vigilant and update their defenses and have a strong incident response and recovery capability to stay ahead of these threats.

Also, the increasing use of technology in all aspects of life means that the potential for cyber attacks is greater than ever before. From personal devices and social media to business systems and critical infrastructure, the use of technology is more widespread and the risks associated with cyber attacks against them are significant.

Keeping Up With Cybersecurity is Tough

Keeping up with the latest in cybersecurity is a full-time job and security professionals are busy and over-worked. Also, it is difficult to make specific predictions about cybersecurity, as the field is constantly evolving, and it is difficult to predict what new threats and challenges may emerge. However, based on trends and current developments in the field, I have made 23 cybersecurity predictions for 2023 below to potentially help guide your way into the new year.

1. Cybersecurity will become a top priority for businesses of all sizes. As the cost of cyber-attacks continues to rise, businesses of all sizes will recognize the importance of protecting themselves against these threats. This could include implementing robust cybersecurity policies, training employees on how to spot and avoid phishing scams, and investing in technologies and solutions to protect against cyber-attacks.
2. Cybersecurity professionals will need to continually invest in themselves and stay up to date on the latest technologies and tactics being used by attackers. As the threat landscape continues to evolve, it will be important for cybersecurity professionals to utilize threat-hunting and threat intelligence and stay up to date on the latest technologies and tactics being used by attackers. This will also require ongoing training and education to ensure that they are equipped to protect their organizations against emerging threats.
3. Collaboration between the business and cybersecurity professionals will become more important. As the threat of cyber-attacks continues to evolve, it's important for businesses to work closely with cybersecurity professionals to identify and address potential threats. This could include sharing information, best practices, cybersecurity training and awareness programs, as well as participating in incident response planning and execution as needed.
4. Cybersecurity awareness campaigns will become more important. As the threat of cyber-attacks continues to grow, it's important for businesses to educate their employees and customers on how to protect themselves. This can include providing information on how to spot and avoid phishing scams, using strong passwords, and keeping systems and software up to date.
5. Cybersecurity standards and frameworks will become more integrated. As the importance of cybersecurity continues to grow, various standards and frameworks like NIST and Zero Trust for protecting against cyber threats will become more popular and interconnected. This will help businesses better understand their risks and take a more holistic approach to cybersecurity.
6. Cybersecurity regulations and compliance requirements will continue to evolve. As the threat of cyber-attacks increases, governments and industry organizations will continue to develop new regulations and standards to help businesses protect against these threats. Businesses will need to stay up to date on these requirements and ensure that they are in compliance.
7. Cyber insurance will become more widely adopted. As the cost of cyber-attacks continues to rise, businesses will increasingly turn to cyber insurance to protect against financial losses. Cyber insurance policies can provide coverage for things like legal fees, data restoration, and business interruption costs.
8. Expect to see the importance of incident response planning to grow significantly as many cybersecurity professionals realize that with zero-day attacks and the growing sophistication of bad actors avoiding or preventing an attack is increasingly less likely to occur. Therefore, it is important for organizations of all sizes to have a plan in place to deal with potential incidents. This may involve develop and testing a detailed incident response plan, training employees, establishing incident response teams, involving leadership and stakeholders and implementing measures such as backup and recovery systems.
9. You will see greater use of automation in incident response planning. Automation can help to speed up the response to an incident, allowing organizations to quickly identify and address problems before they become more serious. This may involve using artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) technologies to analyze large amounts of data and identify potential threats, as well as automating certain aspects of the response process to facilitate more complete and rapid recovery.
10. Organizations today are under constant attack from a variety of cyber threats. In order to effectively defend against these threats, organizations need to have a comprehensive understanding of the threat landscape. This is where threat intelligence comes in. Threat intelligence can help you anticipate, identify, and respond to cyber threats with more confidence. By understanding the nature and sources of threats, you can better prioritize and then allocate your resources to defend against them.
11. Greater use of cyber risk quantification to ensure your cyber spend and resources are reaching their highest potential in protecting your organization. Cyber risk quantification is the process of assessing and measuring the potential financial impact of a cyber-attack or data breach on a business. This process helps businesses understand the likelihood and potential consequences of a cyber incident, and can be a valuable tool in developing a robust cybersecurity strategy and ensuring your cyber spend is put to its greatest business benefit.
12. Ransomware attacks will continue to be a major concern for businesses. As attackers become more sophisticated, they will continue to evolve their tactics and develop new forms of ransomware. Businesses will need to remain vigilant and take steps to protect themselves, such as regularly backing up their data and using strong, unique passwords.
13. The role of governments in cybersecurity will continue to evolve. Governments around the world are taking an increasingly active role in addressing cyber threats, both nationally and internationally. This could include developing cybersecurity policies, implementing regulations, and collaborating with businesses and cybersecurity professionals to address emerging threats. Just look at what the Biden administration has done in the last four months regarding cybersecurity and that will give you insights into where this is headed.
14. Risks associated with the use of social media will continue to be a concern. Social media platforms can be a breeding ground for cyber-attacks, as attackers often use these platforms to spread malware and phishing scams. The recent banning of TikTok on several government networks is but the beginning of even more widespread banning of social platforms. Businesses will need to be vigilant in protecting against these risks, such as by educating employees on how to spot and avoid these types of attacks.
15. The use of multi-factor authentication will become more widespread. Multi-factor authentication, which requires users to provide multiple forms of identification to access systems, can help improve security by making it more difficult for attackers to gain access. As businesses recognize the importance of this technology, it will become more widely adopted.
16. Cybersecurity risks associated with the use of mobile devices will continue to be a concern. As more businesses adopt bring-your-own-device (BYOD) policies and employees use their personal devices for work purposes, the risk of cyber-attacks targeting these devices will also increase. Businesses will need to take steps to protect against these risks, such as implementing mobile device management solutions and training employees on how to spot and avoid phishing scams.
17. The use of biometric authentication will become more widespread. Biometric authentication methods, such as fingerprint and facial recognition, can help improve security by making it more difficult for attackers to gain access to systems. As these technologies become more advanced and widely available, businesses will increasingly adopt them to protect against cyber threats.
18. The use of cybersecurity automation will increase. Cybersecurity automation refers to the use of software and other technologies to automate certain cybersecurity tasks, such as identifying and responding to potential threats. As the volume of cyber threats continues to grow, businesses will increasingly turn to automation to help manage these threats more efficiently.
19. The rising risks associated with the use of cloud-based solutions will continue to be a concern. As more businesses adopt cloud-based solutions, the risk of cyber-attacks targeting these systems will also increase. Businesses will need to take steps to protect against these risks, such as implementing robust cybersecurity policies and regularly updating their security measures.
20. The cybersecurity risks associated with the supply chain will become more prominent. As businesses rely on increasingly complex supply chains to produce and distribute goods, the risk of cyber-attacks targeting these systems will also increase. It will be important for businesses to take steps to protect against these risks, such as implementing robust cybersecurity policies and regularly updating their security measures.
21. The Internet of Things (IoT) will become a larger target for cyber-attacks. As the number of connected devices continues to grow and OT networks made up of SCADA and ICS devices and equipment are integrated or connected, so will the number of potential entry points for attackers. Businesses will need to ensure that they are properly securing their IoT and OT (IIoT) devices and regularly updating their security measures.
22. With the growing use of cloud-based solutions and employment of hybrid networks the risk of cyber-attacks targeting these systems will also increase. Businesses will need to take steps to protect against these risks, such as implementing robust cybersecurity policies and regularly updating their security measures.
23. The use of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning in cybersecurity will continue to increase. AI can be used to analyze large amounts of data, identify patterns, and detect anomalies that may indicate a cyber-attack. This can help businesses respond more quickly to potential threats and prevent attacks from happening in the first place.

Being Prepared Is The Best Position To Be In

It is hard to stress how important cybersecurity is to businesses heading into 2023 because it can help protect them against financial losses, damage to their reputation, avoid compliance fines and penalties, negative impact to their customers and partners and disruptions to their operations. By taking the predictions above into account and using a plan that includes steps to protect against cyber threats, businesses can help ensure their continued success and competitiveness in an increasingly digital world.

Good luck as you head into 2023 and stay secure!