On each Friday for the month of February, RSM’s Julia Polyak will be providing an article on the future of cyber-attacks and cyber-warfare, and how organizations can remain aware of emerging threats in this landscape.
Cyber-attacks have become a persistent threat in today’s digital age. With the increasing dependence on technology in our personal and professional lives, the risk of cyber-attacks continues to grow. To be able to discuss next steps in the future of cyberwar and cyber-attacks, we must first understand what a cyber-attack is.
A cyber-weapon, which can be used to attack is defined by Thomas Rid “a computer code that is used, or designed to be used, with the aim of threatening or causing physical, functional, or mental harm to structures, systems, or living beings” (Rid, 7). As mentioned, the increasing dependency on technology can be harmful if a company were to lose valuable or confidential data in a cyber-attack, which is why it is crucial that there are risk mitigation plans in place. With this rate of advancement, there is also an increasing rate of sophistication in technology, which could lead to more refined cyber-attacks. It is a constant race of attack and defense, where technology is changing every day, but this we already know. What might not be clear is “what are we defending from?”
In the past few years, there has been an emerging trend of protecting digital data for personal and professional use. You might see a company on the news after a cyber-attack, saying that their data was breached, or that your friend got their credit card data stolen. These things have always been happening around us, but as technology continues to advance, more people are aware of the emerging threats and are curious about how to keep their personal and professional data safe. In a company this can be achieved by implementing cybersecurity best practices to enhance the overall security and protection of data and privacy.
There are a few different key topics that can be used to help prevent and mitigate cyber-attacks, the first being regular vulnerability assessments and penetration tests. This will help improve an organizations network security and assist in overall security best practices. The next way to help prevent and mitigate cyber-attacks is by collaborating at the enterprise level internally and externally. This means implementing security best practices and consistently keeping up with new training and engaging with employees. There can be multiple layers of security in place, but ultimately it comes down to individuals to protect the integrity of the company.
The future of cyber-attacks relies on all these things, which all have one thing in common, defense. This looks like implementing, educating, and consistently being aware of the new and emerging trends, threats, and mitigation strategies. Cyber-attacks are going to continue to evolve and expand in new ways, pushing limits, and we need to be ready.
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