2021 Cyber Security Trends Your Business Should Keep In Mind

2021 Cyber Security Trends Your Business Should Keep In Mind

Remote working, advancements in technology, and learning new tricks, the cybersecurity landscape continues to change, so businesses need to keep up! Illuminate has compiled a list and some of the latest trends and threats to look out for in 2021 to protect personal data, secure yourselves against data breaches and address any security vulnerabilities you may have.

Home working has changed the cyberthreat landscape

Work from home has become the ‘norm’ as we enter 2021 and is something that isn’t likely to change anytime soon. This shift in how we work from day to day has introduced new dependencies on software such as Zoom, Skype and Slack, home networks and trying to stay connected the best ways we can. These, however, bring with them new cybersecurity trends.

The most significant trend that is evident is that securing our devices and data for remote working will become a big focus for organisations. Unfortunately, employees are likely to take cybersecurity shortcuts, work from unsecured connections and introduce new threats as they adapt to the new working environment, all of which will play a key role in data breaches.

Illuminate is onhand to offer consultancy, support and access to a team of security experts whenever you need it. With our cutting edge packages, such as our Ringfence technology, we can keep your employees secure when working remotely. Everything from training to spot and protect against cyberattacks to ensuring all devices and connections are secure, let us help your business adjust to the new work at home economy.

Phishing attacks are set to rise

Our email inboxes are a common weak point exploited by cybercriminals, used as a vector for:

• ransomware attacks
• business email compromise scams
• malware infection

Thanks to advancements in technology, 2021 is likely to see a major increase in these kinds of attacks on businesses. One of the significant reasons behind this predicted increase in artificial intelligence and automation, which has become sophisticated enough to become everyday use in spear phishing, allowing criminals to work quicker and send out more and more cyberattacks.

However, this automaton in phishing attacks causes them to become more easily spotted. With the right know-how, strategies and software, your business and its employees can stay smart and secure against this form of cyberthreat. Get in touch to discuss how our tailored cybersecurity packages can help you. 

Cloud Services & New Threats

More and more businesses are choosing the cloud as a secure storage solution and to help them stay connected with co-workers and clients. With the rise of home working, cloud hosting, migration and support are set to be the biggest trends in 2021. With this new trend comes new threats for businesses.

Some of the threats you should be looking out for with the rise in cloud services include:

• Misconfigured network connectivity
• Data risks
• The correct set up of account permissions
• Cloud monitoring
• Proper usage by employees.

All of the above will contribute to the predicted rise in cloud-based data breaches in the coming year. If you’re thinking of switching to the cloud to benefit from the fantastic connectivity it provides or are concerned about the threats you may be vulnerable to, get in touch.

Mobile threats

Mobile threats are a trend that will most certainly continue in 2021 and beyond. Some of the most common attacks from 2020 are likely to continue to become more advanced and affect many businesses, such as the exploitation of security vulnerabilities in platforms like Android and spyware designed to snoop and steal data from mobile devices.

This trend means that businesses need to focus on creating mobile security programs and increasing user awareness for the detection and response to mobile attacks. Educating your employees on how to work on their mobile devices securely and implementing the right software to boost your protection should become a priority. To discuss how this can be done, Illuminate can help design and implement a bespoke security strategy that’s right for your business.

An example of how this type of threat is evolving in 2021 in the switch to 5G networks, which will likely not be seamless and introduce vulnerabilities and holes in your security that cybercriminals will be quick to exploit.

Why should my business be following cybersecurity Trends?

The above is just a brief synopsis of the trends predicted for 2021, but what does your business stand to gain by following them? 

It has been estimated that companies faced an average of 22 threats to their cybersecurity in 2020, causing them to lose data, money, clients and some to close entirely.[1] This number is predicted to rise this year due to the massive shift COVID-19 has caused in the working environment.

So by following these trends and starting to think about your business’s cybersecurity, you can ensure:

• You can protect your data (whether it is the data of your staff, clients or projects)
• Maintain a professional reputation in your industry for taking necessary precautions
• Introduced a more secure and security-conscious working culture
• Secure your connection and internal data sharing
• Have a proactive response ready in the event of a cyberattack