Navigating the evolving cyber threat landscape demands vigilance. Aaron Hambleton explores four critical vulnerabilities shaping the second half of 2023
In the ever-evolving landscape of business technology, the second half of the year presents a host of challenges that demand the unwavering attention of organisations and cybersecurity experts.
As organisations navigate this dynamic environment, it is imperative to be acutely aware of the vulnerabilities that loom large on the horizon, poised to test the resilience of businesses and their security measures.
As we delve into the nuances of these vulnerabilities, it becomes evident that vigilance and proactive measures are the keys to safeguarding organisations.
Here are four vulnerabilities organisations and businesses should be aware of going into the second half of 2023.
1. AI-powered social engineering attacks
Artificial intelligence (AI) has entered almost all spheres of the business world. While AI brings numerous benefits and advancements, it also introduces new cybersecurity risks, such as social engineering attacks.
These attacks use manipulative tactics to deceive the victims into revealing sensitive information or trespassing organisations’ security infrastructure.
To execute these attacks, cybercriminals rely on AI-based natural language processing (NLP) algorithms to generate more realistic and human-like phishing emails, chatbot interactions or voice calls.
According to Forbes, “AI technology is advancing so rapidly that hackers are very possibly developing their own custom AI applications specifically designed to take social engineering to the next level.”
Detecting these malicious campaigns is getting harder for the average employee, which is why significant training is required to know what to look for and how to prevent escalation.
2. Cloud-based breaches
Cloud computing has become the norm in today’s digital landscape, offering scalability, flexibility and cost-efficiency to businesses. However, the widespread adoption of cloud services exposes organisations to new cybersecurity threats, making them a major concern in 2023.
Cybercriminals target cloud environments to exploit misconfigurations, weak access controls or insecure application programming interfaces (APIs).
A recent example of the consequences of cloud misconfigurations is the Toyota data leak, in which the personal information of over two million customers was exposed after an access key was leaked on GitHub for almost five years.
“Upon discovering the GitHub [repository], Toyota immediately made it private. Two days later, the company changed the access key to the data server. The Japanese giant commissioned an investigation into the blunder and was unable to confirm or deny whether miscreants had spotted and used the key to pilfer data from the server,” reports The Register.
3. Enhanced phishing attacks
Phishing attacks involve cybercriminals posing as trustworthy entities with the intention of deceiving individuals into divulging sensitive information or performing malicious actions.
With over 500 million phishing attacks reported in the US in 2022, this number is expected to rise further this year. Threat actors are continuously refining their techniques to make phishing emails and messages appear more genuine and convincing, which takes a trained eye to spot.
4. Zero-day vulnerabilities in supply chain attacks
With the increasing complexity of supply chains and the interconnectivity of various systems, zero-day vulnerabilities are expected to be a significant cybersecurity threat in the second half of 2023.
A zero-day attack is a strategic exploitation that involves the use of previously unknown vulnerabilities in the supply chain and has no available patches or fixes.
These vulnerabilities in the supply chain can have severe consequences, allowing attackers to compromise the integrity and security of products and services. They can lead to data breaches, unauthorised access, and the potential for sabotage or manipulation of systems.
Aaron Hambleton is Director for Middle East & Africa at SecurityHQ
You can read their full white paper, Global Threat Forecast: H2 2023 Predictions, at securityhq.com
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