Emerging cybersecurity trends in 2023
In the rapidly evolving landscape of cybersecurity, cyber threats continue to pose significant challenges for businesses, from simple phishing emails to high-level hacking operations. One of the latest high profile cyber-attack victims include the BBC, British Airways and Boots, who all fell victim to a massive hack.
As we approach the halfway mark for 2023, we explore the emerging cybersecurity trends that are shaping the way we protect our digital assets.
We highlight five key areas of focus: Cyber Essentials, Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR), Multifactor Authentication (MFA), Next-Generation Firewalls (NGFW), and Cybersecurity in the Cloud.
Cyber Essentials: Enhancing cyber hygiene
Cyber Essentials is a UK government-backed scheme which provides foundational certification and a virtual badge aimed at improving cyber hygiene, providing a simple way to learn about digital threats and mitigating common cyber threats.
It provides a framework to ensure businesses have essential cybersecurity measures in place and helps demonstrate your cybersecurity compliance.
There are two levels of certification: Cyber Essentials and Cyber Essentials Plus. Cyber Essentials Plus is an advanced level of certification which involves a more rigorous assessment of a business’ cybersecurity measures.
In the second half of 2023 and beyond, we can expect to see an increased adoption of Cyber Essentials as it becomes a key requirement for some tendering processes and contracts, cyber insurance questions get tricker and businesses recognise the importance of a strong cybersecurity foundation to protect against the growing cyber threats.
We’ve written a blog post which goes into further detail on both Cyber Essentials and Cyber Essentials Plus which you can find here.
Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR): Fortifying Security
With the rise of sophisticated cyber attacks, traditional antivirus solutions can be insufficient in detecting and responding to advanced threats. EDR solutions provide real-time monitoring, threat protection and rapid incident response capability, it typically runs as an installed agent, detecting and responding to malicious activities.
It takes more of a proactive response to security than traditional anti-virus, continually monitoring and recording endpoint activities and behaviour to identify anomalies.
In 2023, we’re really excited to be introducing this technology to our clients at no additional cost; will be rolling out EDR to all compatible devices for our Geeks Cloud and Geeks Protect customers.
Multifactor Authentication: Overcoming MFA fatigue
Multifactor Authentication (MFA) adds an extra layer of security by requiring users to provide multiple layers of authentication to access their account, typically MFA sends a approve/deny notification to your authentication app on your mobile device.
However, while MFA enhances security, it can also introduce MFA fatigue, whereby a hacker prompts the user to accept the login multiple times until the user eventually approves and authenticates the log in.
In 2023, we have upgraded the MFA technology within our Geeks Cloud solution to include two things which safeguard against a fatigue attack.
The first is number matching:
This means that our Geeks Cloud clients receive a number or two-digit code on their device they are logging into the application on, and then they must type that number into their mobile authentication app to approve the log in.
The second this is a geolocation context:
A map shows as part of the approval notification as well as the name of the application that’s being logged into, so if the user gets a notification from a different location or a different app, they have the opportunity to deny access.
Next-Generation Firewalls (NGFW): Evolving defence
Due to the sophisticated and evolving nature of cyber threats, we are now recommending a more advanced firewall to be installed in your office.
Traditional firewalls only protect based on rules and filters. NGFWs combine traditional firewall capabilities with advanced features such as deep packet inspection, intrusion prevention and application awareness.
In 2023, NGFWs will continue to evolve, it will likely become paramount to replace traditional firewalls with NGFWs.
The Cloud: Securing your data
As businesses increasingly embrace the cloud, securing your data and applications in the cloud becomes crucial. With the growing complexity of and reliance on cloud environments, they require robust security measures such as comprehensive monitoring solutions. When you move to the cloud, the perimeter of your security boundary is no longer your firewall, it’s your device, so it’s important to ensure your devices are secured.
In 2023 and beyond, we can expect to see the expansion of cloud capabilities, and ways to secure the cloud further.
Ultimately, as the digital landscape evolves, cyber threats will also continue to evolve, so it is crucial for businesses to remain vigilant and adopt proactive cybersecurity measures to protect their digital assets. Cyber Essentials, EDR, MFA, NGFWs and securing your data proactively on the cloud are steps to increasing your business’ security against emerging threats. By embracing these trends, businesses can establish a robust cybersecurity stance, protecting their systems and data.
Here at Geeks, we’re always looking out for the latest news and product releases regarding cybersecurity, we have a solution coming in 2023 which encompasses many security features to help business owners secure their digital assets.
Get started with dedicated IT support, our friendly team of experts are happy to discuss this further with you:
