* By Flávio Silva
2020 marks the end of the decade-long cycle. In recent years, a lot has changed from a technological point of view. The way society in general relates to technology has become an intrinsic part of people's daily lives. If on the one hand this makes room for a lot of convenience, on the other hand it offers several risks of cyber attacks. Just as the technological aspect has become more accessible and comprehensive, cybercriminals have also perfected their techniques for defrauding and gaining access to private data.
You need to be aware that attackers can take advantage of the simplest security flaws - such as patch fixing or incomplete patches, putting entire environments at risk. Open codes and libraries are opportunities for attacks and developers need to be aware of this issue. It will become more and more complex to manage all these vulnerabilities, and companies will have to carry out proofs of concept to test vulnerabilities in their applications.
The future will be increasingly exposed as technological advances become more present. Information Technology and Operation Technology will need to seek protection and prevention mechanisms. Technologies such as Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence will be used more for fraudulent purposes, as well as Internet of Things (IoT) devices being more vulnerable.
And this is just the tip of the iceberg. The good news, however, is that the future will be defensible. In this scenario, risk management and understanding of threats will be vital to creating a secure environment. Planned attacks and varied tactics will require better intelligence and analysis practices from the use of cybersecurity solutions, and advanced technological solutions will help in the rapid mitigation of risks and vulnerabilities, be it prevention or remediation.
Below, I detail more about these four important cybersecurity points of attention for 2020:
Complexity of attacks
New technologies and platforms will be used to serve as a means of cyber attacks, and attackers are already taking advantage of the loopholes. With the popularization of blockchain, for example, they can use the same technology to perform fraudulent transactions in the underworld of the virtual environment, while open banking opens up new forms of cyber attacks and ATM software can also be the target of attacks. . Technology has also enabled the emergence of so-called deep fakes, which have provided attackers with new possibilities in taking advantage and committing financial fraud by using Artificial Intelligence to alter images, videos and audios, distorting facts and people.
Greater technological exposure
Information Technology and Operation Technology will be more exposed to attack techniques. Cybercriminals can break into homes using Internet of Things (IoT) devices, such as surveillance cameras, appliances, and smart TVs. These devices, which are connected to the internet, will be used by attackers to obtain privileged information and extort users. Based on that, 5G will offer even greater risks, since operations are based on software with vulnerabilities. Higher bandwidth and low latency offer better conditions for cybercriminals to carry out attacks of even greater proportions. The lack of native security on 5G networks also exacerbates potential threats related to the confidentiality of information.
The future will be out of shape
Cloud computing and the combination of development and operations (DevOps), while presenting advantages to its users, increase cybersecurity risks. The use of serverless computing and the integration of cloud applications with a focus on cost reduction will have a large share of companies in 2020. Obtaining this structure does not mean, however, that companies will be immune to security problems. Configuration failures, outdated libraries, and known and unknown vulnerabilities in applications with this structure can open up big loopholes. Attackers can use this to collect sensitive information or break into corporate networks. The lack of configuration in the cloud data storage that cause information leakage will remain a common security problem for organizations in 2020.
The future will be defensible
Risk management and threat understanding will be vital to creating a secure environment. Predictive and behavior-based detection will be crucial against threats. Living off the land attacks will continue to be used, and often these threats will break through traditional detection techniques. Increase in Linux threats and / or applications that use your kernel will increase due to the wide applicability of these systems, especially in IoT devices. So-called threat hunters, specialists in finding vulnerabilities, will be able to better control attacks and threat patterns. The use of Threat Intelligence and Security Analytics will have to be combined and better used for multi-layered protection. Planned attacks and varied tactics will require better intelligence and analysis practices. The use of tools and solutions that help in the rapid mitigation of risks and vulnerabilities, whether prevention or correction, will play a fundamental role.
Counting on the collaboration of cybersecurity experts will be essential in mitigating risks in all areas involving technological structures within corporations. With this, it is possible for developers to gain more visibility and control over the connected devices and servers in order to address the resolutions of the detected weaknesses. Detecting real-time and zero-day attacks will be crucial in proactively identifying known and unknown threats.
* Flávio Silva, Security Specialist and Sales Engineer at Trend Micro Brasil
Notice: The opinion presented in this article is the responsibility of its author and not of ABES - Brazilian Association of Software Companies
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