Cybersecurity trends are important to observe as over the past couple of years cybersecurity issues and leaks have become more prevalent. This is true both on individual and organizational levels. Data breaches of various types and sizes took place that made these cybersecurity issues headline news around the world in 2020. That means as we continue to move into the new decade, it would be wise for everyone to keep an eye on what the next cybersecurity trends will be in 2021 and beyond. Here are the top 7 cybersecurity trends to watch out for during the next year and beyond.
7 Cybersecurity Trends for 2021
1. Continued Advances in Artificial Intelligence
AI research and development has been picking up some speed in recent years and it is not going to stop anytime soon. 2021 could mark the year in which AI-based products, services and technologies finally make their way into public markets, including the cybersecurity space.
Some of the more well-known examples of artificial intelligence making its way into public market sectors of late include machine learning tech or advanced algorithms that can be used to process language, cyberthreats, facial feature recognition and more.
When it comes to AI, specifically as one of the cybersecurity trends, it can be used to identify cyberthreats at rates faster and more accurate than is possible by humans. However, this can also turn into a double-edged sword as cybercriminals can use AI for their own malware methods.
2. Cybersecurity Skills Gap
Even though cybersecurity will become a growing trend in the job market, it is highly unlikely that the supply of professionals within cybersecurity fields will be able to meet the demand. This is especially problematic considering the fact that companies need reliable cybersecurity protection now more than ever.
As this problem becomes more prominent among various companies, there will certainly be more of an incentive to hire cybersecurity professionals or market school programs to get more people enrolled in these classes. IT security personnel shortages will probably only continue as one of the cybersecurity trends in 2021 and beyond, which means automated security tools will likely become a growing trend as well.
3. Expansion of Cloud Services & Technology
The usage of cloud storage and cloud infrastructure is another cybersecurity trend that will only continue to become more popular in the future. That means with more valuable data stored on the cloud, there will be more attacks trying to hack into them.
Many corporations can be at serious risk if they continue to upload the vast majority of their data onto the cloud without adequate protective measures. As cloud storage attacks continue to rise, IT companies and firms will have to double down on fortifying their online databases or face some serious consequences.
4. The Implementation of 5G Networks
5G’s biggest feature is the massive volume of bandwidth that it will offer to people and their devices. What is not talked about as often is the fact that 5G is also capable of collecting massive amounts of personal data about its users. This information can include health data, vehicle information, data collected from smart device apps and other kinds of info about professional and personal lives. This means that 5G will be a massive cybersecurity trend in the coming years.
All of this data collected from 5G will need to have very high levels of cybersecurity to encrypt and protect the overwhelming amount of data these networks will collect.
5. Mobile Devices
With smartphones being a necessity these days, this will be a particularly massive cybersecurity trend in the coming years. Just as people can have their wallets stolen or be the victim of phishing emails, people can also have their smartphones compromised in a variety of ways.
The problem is not just with smartphones being hacked but with the apps that people willingly download onto their devices as well. Not everyone understands the data collecting that these apps do, which means that many people are releasing data that they would rather not. This issue will increase in severity in the coming years.
6. Cybersecurity Awareness
With data theft stories becoming not only more common but more widely read in the news, cybersecurity is becoming a household topic. Just about everyone in the modern world has at least some important data stored online, regardless of their profession.
Digital and IT technologies are here to stay, which means that the general public will be better protected from data leaks and hacks if they are better educated on these matters. Cybersecurity awareness will inevitably become a more common topic not only at the corporate level but at the individual level as well.
7. Phishing Threats
While phishing phone calls and emails are by no means a new phenomenon, they are also not going to go away anytime soon. This makes phishing threats, malware and other similar forms of data attacks a continuing cybersecurity trend for now and the future.
Phishing still continues to this day because it still works, unfortunately. Even if only a small fraction of people fall victim to this method, that still ends up being a lot of people in the grand scheme of things. People lose their identities, vital financial information and more through these common cybercrimes.
These attacks are targeted not only against random individuals but government, financial and medical organizations as well. Data hackers can collect so much vital information from these originations that they can demand ransom and even blackmail. People from all walks of life can benefit a lot from learning how to spot phishing as well as how to protect themselves from it.
Cybersecurity Trends Summary
Knowledge is Power and Security
Learning more about cybersecurity trends is a very important step in protecting yourself from the growing data threats and attacks that will likely become more common in the coming years. While this is especially true if you work in IT, anyone who uses cloud storage, smartphones and other similar technologies can still have a lot at stake.
Stay tuned on our blog for any future information related to cybersecurity trends and news.
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