Cybersecurity Trends and Predictions for 2022

Blog
Jan 31, 2022
Danya Strait

In the last few years, the threat of cyberattacks has grown exponentially, and it's continuing into the new year, threatening cybersecurity measures. By September of 2021, the total number of attacks exceeded all of 2020.

Unfortunately, there's no sign of slowing down, especially if businesses remain content with the way things are. However, you can break that cycle with the right tools and knowledge. Let's talk about some cybersecurity trends to watch in 2022 and how you can keep your business safe.

Cybersecurity Trends To Look Out for in 2022

Small businesses are such a large target for cyberthreats because they are in the "sweet spot" for potential attackers. Large companies like Apple or Facebook have major prizes to steal, but their systems are too strong for an average hacker to infiltrate.

Conversely, someone's personal computer may be easy to infiltrate, but it won't have a big enough prize for the attacker. That puts small businesses without a robust cybersecurity plan in the perfect zone for attackers, which is why preparation is so necessary. Here's what you need to watch out for this year.

Phishing Scams Will Become More Sophisticated

You probably trust your employees not to send your company's data to a Nigerian prince who's strapped for cash, but times have changed. Sure, we all see those social engineering scams in our junk folder and think to ourselves, "Who falls for this?"

However, phishing scams are becoming difficult to detect with the rise of deep-fake technology in 2020 through 2021. Scammers are learning to use this technology to replicate staff email addresses, voices, profile pictures, video chats, and more. Unfortunately, this allows them to do far more damage to a company.

Ransomware Attacks Will Continue to Evolve

Ransomware as a service (RaaS) is an evolving tool that is becoming a real thorn in the side of small businesses. Essentially, hackers use this software to cripple your data and only release it upon payment, often exceeding six figures.

Unfortunately, this technology is only expanding as we speak. Once it's in your network, there's little you can do about it.

Coverage of Unstructured Data Will Expand

Currently, most data is considered unstructured, although most data warehouses are only equipped to cover structured data. Because unstructured data is so widely available for attackers, many of them have become more willing to sort through stacks of it to find the needle in the haystack.

Consequently, safe data storage will need to expand to include coverage for unstructured data, which is already happening.

Safe Cloud Storage and File Sharing Will Become More Available

More and more, small businesses are getting the picture. They are adopting safe cloud storage and remote file sharing at record rates in response to the rise of cyber threats and remote work.

If you have remote staff, then cloud storage, safe file sharing, and a virtual private network (VPN) should play a significant role in the new year for you and your staff.

Safeguard Data & Eliminate Downtime

Data recovery is key to any successful recovery plan.

What You Can Do to Protect Your Business

Your business needs to be prepared to prevent a wannabe attacker from infiltrating your system and what to do if they are successful.

Generally speaking, it takes the average company over 191 days (over half a year) to notice a breach. Imagine how much damage can be done in that time.

Staff Training

Training your employees is the only way to protect against phishing scams. You can have all the security in the world, but if somebody with access to your company's data is convinced to give it up, it will tank your business.

Consequently, training your staff to identify suspicious behavior and report it to the proper authorities is the only way to protect your business from these scams.

Staff Protocols

Part of training your staff should involve teaching them the right protocols, and not just for reporting suspicious activity. There should be strict protocols for secure file sharing, what information needs to be sent through which outlet, and following up with people in person.

Unfortunately, there's no concrete way to prevent staff members from sharing a file if they believe that the email they received was from their supervisor, coworker, or someone who should have access to these files. As a result, staff should be trained to double-check or follow up in person when sharing essential data.

Disaster Relief Plan

Resilience is key to cybersecurity.

Again, you can't prevent everything. However, the average cyberattack costs businesses over $200,000, which generally leads to them shutting down. Having a plan in place to notice and isolate a breach, stop the damage, and allow for business continuity is critical to the survival of your business in this age.

Cybersecurity Services

Only a few small businesses can afford to hire an in-house cybersecurity team, which isn't always necessary. Conversely, most small businesses can afford to hire outsourced cybersecurity solutions, which can save their business.

In 2022, the best investment you can make is to protect your most valuable data with a reliable data backup and recovery solution. 

Keep Your Data Safe

Now that you know some of the most pressing cybersecurity trends of the new year, you can keep your business safe for the long haul. The sooner you invest in your data's security, the less time you will spend at risk of attack.

Stay up to date with our latest business continuity tips, and contact us with any questions.

Cybersecurity Checklist

Check for signs that may lead to a data breach or cyberattack and get preventative measures to safeguard your operations.