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Somehow it is time for the end of year technology predictions again. Some of the predictions might even come to pass. To gain a more realistic expectation of what is to come in 2024, the company Cofense has been running modelling to assess the major trends set to re-shape tech.
Expected developments highlighted by Cofense experts include:
- QR Codes are just getting started.
- Threat actors will capitalize on the advancement of AI, ML and ChatGPT through malicious emails.
- A new malware family will fill the void left behind by Qakbot.
- The cybersecurity threat landscape will intensify as social engineering attacks surge.
- Email security reporting will be front in centre in the boardroom.
- Organizations will shift to focusing on what they do not know about their cybersecurity risks, leaning on threat intelligence more than ever.
In terms of developing concrete examples, Digital Journal heard from Joshua Bartolomie, Vice President of Global Threat Services at the firm.
Bartolomie foresees the buzz word for 2024 as ‘intelligence’. He notes: “Organizations will shift to focusing on what they don’t know about their cybersecurity risks, leaning on threat intelligence more than ever.”
Threat intelligence is the process of identifying and analysing cyber-threats. The term ‘threat intelligence’ refers to the data collected on a potential threat and also to the process of gathering, processing and analysing that data to better understand threats.
In terms of how this will evolve, Bartolomie considers: “As threats continue to mount due to global conflict and economic pressure, organizations will pivot to analysing what they don’t know about their cybersecurity risks rather than making assumptions and move past “check the box” strategies.”
How will this happen in practice? To answer this, Bartolomie predicts: “To do this, organizations will need to lean on threat hunters and threat intelligence to find out what should be a focus in their cybersecurity strategies. Threat hunters are like house inspectors who come in and poke at the walls and the foundation to find things that need to be fixed.”
Drawing this back to the considerations about threat intelligence, Bartolomie concludes: “Good, actionable threat intelligence will help organizations quantify their risk, give context into how threats are delivered and allow security teams to make informed decisions to stay ahead of threats.”
Threat intelligence tools read raw data on existing and emerging threats and threat actors from multiple sources. The data is analysed and filtered to develop intelligence feeds and reports that can be used by automated security solutions.
Scan or click: The latest cyber-risks are just a button push haway
How will business technology evolve into 2024 and what will be the key concerns for those occupying the boardroom? The company Cofense has been running through different scenarios, many of which centre on the need to stay ahead of cyber-threats.
Dawn Creter, Director of Product Management says that businesses need to mindful of the threats posed by email to the security of a firm.
This is why Creter says that email security reporting will be at the very front and centre within the boardroom.
Creter tells Digital Journal: “Today more than ever, cybersecurity is a main agenda item for every board meeting. Organizations are even starting to hire cyber experts to sit on boards to ensure the right questions are being asked to security leaders about business and cyber risk.”
In general terms, she predicts: “This spotlight on cybersecurity will only grow in 2024 as threats, especially those related to email, only continue to increase.”
Turning her attention to email in particular, Creter points out; “The board of directors will want to know metrics like what emails are being auto-quarantined, how their company is being targeted and what departments in their organization are the most at risk of attack.”
What should be done with this intelligence? Creter recommends: “Security leaders need to put themselves in the shoes of the board members as more so now than ever are they expecting metrics on how their companies are preventing and mitigating the data breaches and Ransomware attacks we see in the news today.”
It is important that firms turn to the most advanced technologies not least because this is what criminal entities will be using. This leads Creter to find: “Threat actors will capitalize on the advancement of AI, ML and ChatGPT through malicious emails.”
In terms of what will happen within the workplace in response to such threats, Creter thinks: “As we see more organizations adopt and invest in AI/ML, we are seeing an upward trend in credential phishing and an increase in communications on the dark web in generating AI frauds. Threat actors use many different tactics, techniques, and procedures that may leverage artificial intelligence and machine learning to replicate the writing of an email for malicious intent.”
To draw up the best defences and understanding of what might happen next is required: “The growth and advancement in artificial intelligence and machine learning increased the ability to automate with much more speed and accuracy of these malicious emails, making the detection even more complex. This has catapulted them to produce more high-quality images, pictures and videos.”
One specific threat comes from the quick-response (QR) code. Creter warns: “Now we are seeing a high use of QR codes that threat actors will use to continue to trick their victims. Because of this, we will see more high quality fake ChatGPT malicious emails in 2024.”
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