Cyber Security Trends to Watch For in 2023

By Megan Mayer

While we can’t entirely predict what will happen in 2023, one thing we are sure of is that cybercrime isn’t going anywhere. Bad actors will continue to impact business’ with cyber attacks, like they have in the past year. Phishing and Ransomware remained the top cyber-attacks in 2022, with 343 and 194 respective incidents reported. This spike has led to an increase of the attack surface and provides opportunities for hackers to take advantage of vulnerable security points in 2023. Because of this, cyber security should be at the forefront of every business’ decisions this year to stay ahead of cyber threats. Keep reading to learn the top cyber security trends of 2023 that you need to watch out for and implement in your business to keep your business safe.

1. Building a Culture of Security Awareness

It is crucial for companies to build and foster a culture of awareness around cyber security issues. It isn’t a worry that should be relegated to just the IT department. Each individual employee plays a role in maintaining your organization’s security through following best practices. Regularly train employees on how to avoid the fallout from phishing attacks and teach basic security skills like developing strong passwords. Training your employees to be cautious about things such as opening attachments in emails, leaving their workstation unlocked when they walk away, and more needs to be a foundational aspect of your greater cyber security strategy in 2023.

2. Internet of Things 

The term Internet of Things (IoT) refers to physical objects that connect and share data with other devices and systems over the Internet. IoT devices include anything from smart home devices like thermostats to Apple watches and fit-bits to building alarm systems. The more devices you connect together, the more openings attackers can take advantage of to access your data. In the past, manufacturers haven’t focused on keeping them secure. In 2023, governmental initiatives will work to increase security of connected devices and the cloud networks that link them, as well as inform consumers of the security risks.

3. The Rise of Typosquatting URLs

In 2022, there were multiple instances of cyber criminals cloning a company’s website with a typosquatted domain. Typoqsuatting, also known as URL hijacking, is a cyber crime that involves hackers registering domains with a slight variation of the target site. The typos on the URL can be difficult to spot, like entaracorps.com or entara-corp.com as a dupe of our site. In these examples and in similar instances, an ‘s’ or an extra character is added into a domain to trick people into following a malicious link. If you are unsure of a company’s domain and there are multiple to choose from, visit one of their social media pages and follow the link that is given in their bio.

4. Outsourced Cyber Security

Cyber security has become far too complex for organizations to manage on their own. Most organizations are not experts in cyber security and lack the resources to manage a full-service security operations team. More businesses will turn to outsourcing their cyber security and managed IT needs to a service provider, like an eXtended Service Provider. 

5. Zero Trust will Replace VPN

Virtual private networks (VPN) are unable to meet the demands of remote work and are prone to vulnerabilities. Zero trust is a multi-layered approach that is scalable and highly secure. Zero trust measures are based on the concept of "never trust, always verify," which means that users are continuously validated, reassessed, and reauthorized, using multiple authentication methods.

6. MFA Alone is Not Enough to Protect Your Business

Hackers are smart, and sometimes it feels like they are always one step ahead of the “good guys.” There were many cases in 2022 of cyber attacks caused by an unknown vulnerability that allowed hackers to bypass multi-factor authentication (MFA). While MFA is a useful tool to protect your business, companies must have 24/7 monitoring to assess for vulnerabilities and be able to address these before it’s too late.

Entara: Security-First IT Solutions

Head into the new year the right way by employing cyber security best practices. Entara keeps your organization safe from cyber threats and prevents data breaches through a multitiered, proactive approach to cyber security. We understand that we are stronger together, and  provide companies with thorough security awareness training to educate and reinforce security policies throughout their organization. Contact us to boost your cyber security posture in 2023 and identify where you are at in your security journey through one of our security assessments.

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