As we enter 2023, it is expected that the ongoing threats targeting consumers and remote employees will persist. Here are five predictions outlining how home users may be affected by cybersecurity challenges this year.
Reflecting on the cybersecurity landscape of the past year, my previous predictions of advanced threats against home users, the persistent growth of ransomware, and gaming as an emerging attack vector have indeed come to fruition in 2022.
As we look ahead to 2023, we can expect the continuation of trends involving attacks against consumers and remote employees, particularly through phishing and social engineering techniques, including email and SMS scams. Additionally, Trojan viruses, sophisticated malware, and new attack vectors, such as the recently discovered “Big Brother” Metaverse Attack vector by RAV Researchers, are expected to be prevalent in the coming year.
Here are five additional predictions for cybersecurity trends in 2023:
- Phishing and social engineering will become more sophisticated: Cybercriminals will continue to refine their techniques, leveraging technologies like deep fakes and employing various means such as email, SMS, and social media platforms to launch scams. Raising awareness among online users about telltale signs of phishing attempts, such as misspelled words, incorrect URLs, and irrelevant messaging, will be crucial in thwarting these attacks.
- Ransomware-as-a-Service (RaaS) and Cybercrime-as-a-Service (CaaS) will increase: Data breaches will remain profitable on the Dark Web, and RaaS and CaaS will continue to be on the rise. As cybercrime motivations shift from profit-related to geopolitical, the Dark Web landscape is evolving, allowing cyber-criminal groups to target critical infrastructure and government services of other nation-states.
- Younger demographics will be increasingly targeted: Younger consumers, such as tweens and teens, who are highly connected and involved in activities like cryptocurrency and the metaverse, will be increasingly targeted by cybercriminals. At the same time, cybercrime activity by teens and young adults, ranging from large-scale attacks on enterprises and governments to low-level crimes targeting individuals, will also rise.
- Cracking and bypassing 2FA will increase: Cybercriminals will continue to exploit vulnerabilities in two-factor authentication (2FA) and may even start targeting three or four-factor authentication. The technology to crack multi-factor authentication is advancing, and there may be a shift towards greater use of biometric authentication by companies.
- Next-generation threats will emerge: As next-generation technologies like virtual reality become mainstream, we can expect the deployment of next-generation threats. The metaverse and augmented realities may offer new opportunities and broader attack surfaces for cybercriminals.
In light of these predictions, it is crucial for organizations and individuals to adopt a holistic cybersecurity approach and stay vigilant in deploying the latest cybersecurity measures. Cybersecurity companies need to constantly mitigate threats and stay ahead of cybercriminals who are constantly refining their methods. The fast-paced and ever-evolving nature of cybersecurity requires continuous efforts to ensure adequate protection against emerging threats. The defense against cyber threats in 2023 will require proactive measures to stay ahead of the evolving threat landscape.
