Nowadays, almost everyone uses technology in their daily lives. In fact, we have reached the point of becoming dependent on technology. Key aspects of our lives, such as education , work and socialization , rely on it. According to expert predictions, from 2020 onwards, security professionals will realize that decisions about cybersecurity have wider social implications (more than ever before). Hackers are aware of users' dependence on technology and are constantly looking for new ways to profit from it. The consequences will be devastating.
Storing important personal or corporate data in electronic form will cause criminals to increase their attacks (e.g. ransomware) in order to prevent the owners from accessing them. “ Data weaponization ” can allow governments and organizations to increase their influence beyond their borders. Finally, improvements in artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) in recent years can improve cybersecurity, but can also be exploited by criminals to commit fraud.
Based on the above data, 3 predictions regarding the state of cyberspace in 2020:
Companies will collect and track data through mergers and acquisitions (M&A) activity:
The Cambridge Analytica scandal and many other breaches have raised concerns about how information is used and shared between companies. However, companies and governments still rely on such data. Experts around the world are trying to take measures and enact laws to limit the way organizations share and manage data . However, these measures will not be able to stop the growing market of mergers and acquisitions behind data collection. Collecting information such as user location or medical information may be considered harmless. But if other companies or government agencies acquire the apps that collect this data, then there will be a problem, because the information will end up in the wrong hands. Nowadays, it is common for apps to be controlled by governments and other agencies.
The costs associated with deepfake scams will exceed $250 million in 2020:
A few months ago, so-called “social engineers” managed to scam a German company out of $243,000 using the “Natural Language Generation” technique (an AI technique that converts data into plain text). This was the first attack of its kind. However, the only certainty is that other attacks using AI deepfake technology will follow. Experts believe that criminals will exploit deepfake-based technologyto create audio and video and fool users.
Limiting the problem is only possible through education and employee participation in training programs. Company employees should be able to recognize threats and differentiate between them in order to reduce the risk.
Privacy concerns will lead one in five companies to safeguard their data from AI:
Artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) solutions are increasingly being used these days. However, according to forecasts, companies that rely on customer data to improve their B2B product offerings will not easily find customers willing to share their data. In the meantime, companies are required to comply with the GDPR privacy regulation . Therefore, they need to be very careful with how they handle customer data. Gradually, they will be forced to stop sending information to third parties. Otherwise, they could be in big trouble. This lack of data will likely make AI and ML solutions less effective.
More Forrester predictions for 2020 can be found here.
