CyberSecurity Predictions and Practices for 2023

With 2022 officially in the books, the technicians at C3 Tech felt this was the perfect opportunity to look at the best practices for a safe and cybersecure 2023. Last year the world witnessed a number of high profile data breaches. Corporations like Twitter and Uber made headlines with breaches that affected millions of accounts and users, and governments around the world reeled as Costa Rica had 90% of its government data hacked, ransomed, and then released publicly online. These examples don’t just come from individual organizations, either. The entire crypto industry continues to showcase why security needs to be top of mind in any digital space.

No organization or industry is exempt from data breaches, and no entity can be 100% protected. 

Proactive measures, a data smart culture, and modeling good digital behaviors all help in creating a resilient organization with systems that make hacking, phishing and other scam attempts much more difficult.

However, cybersecurity isn’t just about dissuading fears or bringing peace of mind. Having proper measures in place to ward off hackers allows businesses and organizations to focus on delivering the best experience they can for their customers and clients.

Cybersecurity is part of the customer experience and by enhancing security measures, a company is able to enhance their customer experience.

A.I. and machine learning are taking center stage this year, which presents a whole new world of capabilities and opportunity, both for businesses and for nefarious individuals.

So what are the best ways to be cyber secure and some expected trends for 2023?

Lock up smart devices

Those sophisticated screens everyone has with them are basically personal computers. Cell phones carry an incredible amount of personal information and are always accessing new wifi connections, new bluetooth fields, and other local or near communication fields. Personal devices are a constant target for hackers and now with remote technology being integrated into vehicles, watches, glasses, shoes and even smart rings, IoT will always need top notch security.

Using 2 factor authentication helps in a huge way to stave off easy attacks from hackers. 

The Hacker Evolution

Ransomware attacks and Hacker-as-a-Service is becoming more sophisticated. Stealing information and holding it for ransom has become incredibly lucrative, to the point where hackers are now offering their services to the highest bidder. There should be no expectation that ransomware attacks or any cyber attacks will slow down or become irrelevant. 

As technology evolves, so does the world in which the hacker plays. Stay vigilant with a culture that understands how to keep information secure and to be aware of what scam communication looks like.

Flexible Networks Means Flexible Security

The way work is done has changed. Remote work has exploded, network capabilities have increased exponentially, and the very fabric of productivity has been challenged. In this progress, there is a marked need for flexible security measures which in turn opens the door for all kinds of security breaches and network threats. This trend is expected to continue as remote work gets consolidated and businesses deal with operating outside of traditional brick and mortar walls.

This cybersecurity mesh will need to be looked at with a critical eye to really identify where the threat areas might be.

SaaS Takes Hold

Security professionals have to use multiple tools and systems to manage the security in their organizations, some of which may not talk to each other. As the need for tighter security grows, Software as a Service (SaaS) will help bring clarity and consolidation to the way security professionals approach challenges. 

The prediction is that almost 30% of all enterprise will be using SaaS for network security cloud based tools like Firewall as a Service (FWaaS) and Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA).

Data Governance and Partnership Support

The US is expected to pass landmark federal regulations across the digital landscape in the coming year, and the UK along with many other world countries are following suit. With global agreement on data governance, the way digital security is handled will have a level of uniformity to it. This paves the way for businesses to easily ‘look under the hood’ when evaluating partnerships and potential strategic alliances with other organizations. 

It is increasingly popular for businesses to take a critical eye at the approach or strategy a potential partner or investor may have toward cybersecurity. This factor in evaluating partnerships is new and with global data governance in place, investors and business owners will know there is a baseline required for all digital commerce.

Staying on top of these trends and more will ensure that 2023 is a year free of cyber attacks or network breaches. Offering Managed IT Services, cybersecurity training, MFP Support, network security support, data backup and recovery, and much more to all businesses in Orange County for more than 25 years, C3 Tech is the digital partner you need in 2023.