The latest cybersecurity trends for 2018

In 2018, the rate at which technological innovations are happening means that trends can appear out of nowhere, making it hard to keep up for some. In this blog post, we’ll take a look at four cybersecurity trends that have defined the digital space so far in 2018, and will continue to do so throughout the year.

The rise of AI and machine learning

There’s no doubt that, in recent years, the greatest leaps in technology are coming from the areas of AI, automation, and machine learning. In the realm of cybersecurity, AI is now an effective tool to test and improve security systems, as it can be used to accelerate incident detection and response, to run tests that identify risks and communicate them to the business, and to provide a unified view of security status across the organisation. However, it can also be used by criminals, meaning malware and cyberattacks are getting smarter and faster, posing a greater threat to cybersecurity than ever before.

New GDPR regulations

In late May, the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) came into force, giving citizens of the EU greater control over the security of their personal data, and therefore requiring websites to follow strict compliance mandates to make sure this information is protected. Despite the fact that non-compliance means fines of up to AU$31 million (or- if it’s higher – four per cent of the business’s annual worldwide turnover), reports indicate that many websites will choose not to comply with the regulations, as the cost of compliance will outstrip the cost of the fine. Without doubt, this is a space in which there’s sure to be major news as the year goes on.

More attacks on healthcare and finance

The rate at which criminals are undertaking cyberattacks motivated by money has continued to increase. Profit-motivated attacks with the purpose of gaining information to sell on the dark web make up the majority of cyberattacks – with a particularly high level of demand for data such as credit card information and medical records. This means it’s crucial for healthcare and finance institutions to implement high-quality cybersecurity systems, to decrease the chance of a successful attack where criminals are able to obtain their customers’ exceptionally valuable data.

New cyber defence technologies

Innovations when it comes to cyber defence technology is making it possible for businesses to become more protected against cyberattacks. The increased use of remote browsers, which isolate a user’s browsing session from the network, and deception technology, which imitates a company’s critical assets to trap attackers looking to steal this data, confirms more companies are embracing these new technologies as 2018 continues. Updates to the way businesses approach passwords and authentication are a crucial part of this, as multi-device authentication continues to skyrocket in popularity and more companies continue to increase their minimum password-strength requirements.

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