In the ever-evolving landscape of cybersecurity, expert predictions provide vital insights into emerging threats and strategies.
Joseph Carson, Chief Security Scientist and Advisory CISO at Delinea, shared his forecasts, highlighting the increasing role of AI in cyberattacks and defenses, the rising demand for cyber insurance, the impact of geopolitical tensions on cyberspace, the evolution of AI-driven compliance measures, and the shift toward passwordless authentication methods:
AI-Driven Attacks and Defenses: Cybercriminals will increasingly use artificial intelligence (AI) to automate and enhance their attacks. In response, cybersecurity defenses will rely more on AI and machine learning for threat detection and automated incident response, creating a continuous battle of algorithms.
Increased Demand for Cyber Insurance: The demand for cyber insurance will surge as organizations recognize the financial risks associated with cyberattacks. Insurance providers will refine their offerings and assess premiums based on cybersecurity maturity.
Geopolitical Tensions in Cyberspace: Geopolitical tensions will continue to spill over into cyberspace, leading to nation-state-sponsored cyber espionage and disruptive attacks. Cybersecurity professionals will need to monitor and respond to evolving geopolitical threats.
AI Compliance Accelerates: In 2024, the landscape of cybersecurity compliance is expected to evolve significantly, driven by emerging technologies, evolving threat landscapes, and changing regulatory frameworks. Privacy regulations like the GDPR and CCPA have set the stage for stricter data protection requirements. We can expect more regions and countries to adopt similar regulations, expanding the scope of compliance requirements for organizations that handle personal data.
Artificial intelligence and machine learning will play a more prominent role in cybersecurity compliance. These technologies will be used to automate threat detection, analyze vast datasets for compliance violations, and provide real-time insights, making it easier for organizations to stay compliant.
Passkeys Pave the Way for Passwordless Authentication: Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) will become a standard requirement for most online services and applications. Traditional methods like SMS-based MFA will decline in favor of more secure options, such as time-based one-time passwords (TOTP) generated by authenticator apps. The move toward passwordless authentication will continue, reducing reliance on traditional passwords. Methods like passkeys, biometrics, hardware tokens, or public-key cryptography will replace or supplement passwords for access to accounts and systems.