Cybersecurity aims to reduce the risk of attacks and, simultaneously, protect against the unauthorized exploitation of technologies, systems, and networks by using processes, controls, and technologies.
Although cybersecurity threats have existed since technology development, the past few years have seen massive growth in innovative technologies and, thus, more cyber threats than ever.
In a globally digital world, in which most individuals use one or more devices (smartphones, laptops, tablets, etc.), to believe that people or companies are of no interest to cyber attackers is a mistake.
In 2022, everyone connected to the internet needs cyber security. And the reason behind it is that most cyberattacks aim to exploit common vulnerabilities through automated attacks.
The 5 most critical cyber threats in 2022 include:
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- Malware - viruses, Trojans, worms, spyware, remote access Trojans (RATs), rootkits and bootkits, botnet software, ransomware
- DDoS attacks (distributed denial-of-service) - aim to flood systems, servers, and networks with traffic to knock them offline
- DNS poisoning attacks - aims to compromise domain name systems (DNS) to redirect the traffic to malicious websites
- Backdoors - aims to allow remote access
- Cryptojacking - aims to install illicit crypto mining software
Why is cybersecurity more challenging in 2022?
Cybersecurity is a critical business issue for organizations in 2022, especially if they have moved to remote working. When working remotely, an organization has less control over its employees' device security and behavior. Therefore, mitigating the cyber security risks is more challenging than ever.
Organizations must encompass their entire IT infrastructure and conduct regular risk assessments while developing an influential cyber security culture managed from the top of the organization.
This culture requires regular training and effective working practices to ensure every employee understands that cyber security is everyone's responsibility.
5 types of cybersecurity in 2022
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#1 Critical infrastructure cybersecurity
Organizations with SCADA systems that rely on older software are more vulnerable to cyber attacks than others. Generally, this includes operators of essential services in a country, such as transport, water, and health.
Because they are considered national security, these organizations and/or public institutions are the ones that need to implement appropriate technical measures to mitigate their cybersecurity risks urgently.
#2 Network security
Network security addresses the vulnerabilities that affect the company's network architecture and operating systems. This includes network protocols, servers, hosts, firewalls, and wireless access points.
#3 Cloud security
As the name implies, cloud security addresses the applications and cloud infrastructure.
#4 IoT security
IoT security refers to securing smart devices and networks connected to IoT. IoT security includes devices that connect to the internet without human input, such as thermostats, lights, smart appliances, or intelligent fire alarms.
#5 Application security
Application security addresses vulnerabilities in designing, coding, and publishing websites or software.
The biggest cyber-attacks and data breaches in 2022
According to IT Governance, the cyber-attacks and data breaches in 2022 compromised 14.3 million records by April alone. These security incidents include cyberattacks, ransomware, data breaches, financial information, malicious insiders, and miscellaneous incidents.
Some of the most notorious security incidents in 2022 include:
- Crypto.com's breach in January 2022 was a cyberattack that targeted the cryptocurrency wallets of nearly 500 users. The attackers stole $18 million in Bitcoin and $15 million in Ethereum.
- Microsoft's March 2022 breach targeted Bing, Cortana, and other products. The hackers managed to steal Microsoft materials, but the company stopped the attack before any client data was affected.
- The attack of a third-party contractor of the Red Cross resulted in 500.000 records being compromised, including "highly vulnerable" classed documents.
