Reference: current challenges
Migration
Current challenges
https://cybersecurityguide.org/resources/cybersecurity-101/
Attribution
In what many security researchers view as a victory, albeit a small one, the security industry has made substantial improvements in progressthe ability to assign attribution for cyberattacks.
While attribution, per se, is still challenging to achieve, vast knowledge about the various current attack techniques, how they are deployed, and who uses them has been accumulated. This understanding allows researchers to make highly accurate educated guesses about the origins of an attack.
Knowing that security professionals are much better at attribution, the adversaries adapt. It is becoming more common for nation-state hackers and cybercriminals to try and imitate each other in an attempt to foil attribution efforts.
They also learn from each other to increase their capabilities. Primarily, however, their objectives remain different. Cybercriminals are generally more interested in money, while nation-state hackers are interested in stealing intellectual property and causing disruption.
While activism was once a prominent motivation for hackers, that has significantly subsided. Political and social cause activists use the Internet and modern communication tools to their great advantage but are less often seen interrupting services or exfiltrating data.
Skills gap
Today, we have reached the point at which cybercrime is so sophisticated that it seems nearly impossible to prevent. Scrutiny is placed on how an enterprise responds once breached – essentially a not “if” but “when” paradigm. Corporate leaders vie for the most talented chief information security officers.
These CISOs are focused mainly on organizational resiliency so they can appropriately manage events surrounding what is considered to be the inevitable data breach.
Organizations that would not have previously believed they needed a CISO are now hiring search firms to locate the best and the brightest. While the demand is high, they often require advanced infosec related degrees.
Across the board, security professionals are asked to increase their level of education, gain new skills, and hone their craft in response to the increased capabilities of their adversaries. Organizations, large and small, have accepted the fact that significant resources must be allocated to cyber defense. Security departments are enjoying a larger share of the enterprise’s budget. They can, therefore, spend more to hire people with the desired education and certifications.
Learn more about cybersecurity certifications
At one time, some employers were known to hire real-world hackers and convert them from the “dark side” to work for the good guys.
In recent years, however, college degrees have become near mandatory for penetration testers, and the demand for security professionals with offensive security skills is growing every year.
The storied cybersecurity skills gap is mostly being solved by increased security budgets. While this challenge presents itself as an overwhelming shortage of people with the right cybersecurity skills, it is being solved by attracting talented, educated, and experienced IT professionals from other specialties.
Active defensive strategies
Cybercriminals, nation-state hackers, and hacktivists are all finding new and innovative ways to compromise digital assets. Some of the more prolific examples include:
Many security organizations are becoming more inclined to employ defensive cybersecurity strategies.
Contrary to what some may imagine, active defensive strategies do not include attacking adversaries. Active defensive strategies are that category of strategies that include a proactive element, rather than just waiting to be attacked.
The use of pentesters or ethical hackers is an example of an active defensive strategy. These proactive activities are used to test static defenses and allow them to be fine-tuned.
Learn more about ethical hacking
Deception-based cybersecurity systems and processes are the best examples of active defense. A honeypot is the most basic of deception-based security.
In more sophisticated schemes, security professionals will put decoy data and what appears to be attack points all over their systems.
This strategy gives the security team the opportunity to monitor these decoy points and record the behavior of an adversary. Once the bait has been taken, the security analyst can choose to simply shut down the attack or to use forensic analysis to monitor the threat actor further. Since only decoy systems and data are at risk, much can be learned from the attack and then employed to protect the real data systems.
These deception-based security systems can also be used to test the organization’s playbook for automated and manual responses. These can then be updated to improve their effectiveness.
Future of the cybersecurity industry
DevSecOps
Historically security has been treated as an after-thought or, at best, a side-track. Growing cybersecurity concerns have made it essential to clarify that security controls are a vital aspect of continuous delivery.
To adapt to a philosophy that asserts that the entire development team is responsible for security, the role of DevSecOps was born.
DevSecOps stands for Development, Security, and Operations. Related to DevOps or SecOps, it is an idea that joins two previously separate functions into a consolidated framework.
DevSecOps teams are accountable for producing conditions for continuous secure application development. Being a newer concept than DevOps, DevSecOps underscores the importance of IT security processes and security automation in the software development lifecycle.
Conventional DevOps processes do not include security. Development without an eye toward security means that many application development ventures that practice DevOps may have no security team. Or, they may test apps only after deploying them.
This approach may cause significant delays in development and is not fit for agile DevOps practices with security included.
Going forward, security professionals need to be fully embedded in the application development process. Security professionals must learn DevOps skills, and DevOps teams must make room for these security experts.
Artificial intelligence
While quickly becoming an overused, and little-understood, buzzword, machine learning, and its subordinate technology of artificial intelligence, hold great promise for cybersecurity.
The ability to accurately predict future attack behavior based on historical data and identify vulnerabilities will greatly increase our defensive capabilities.
Tech writer Kayla Matthews addresses the promising use of machine learning in cybersecurity.
In her article, “Using Machine Learning to Evaluate Cybersecurity Risk”, she acknowledges that machine learning or artificial intelligence is no replacement for human intelligence.
She goes on to say,
“Machine learning analyzes current and past data to identify possible weak points in a business’s cybersecurity perimeter. By pinpointing these risks, it aids information security in recognizing and resolving points of liability. This strategy also utilizes past and present information to find trends that are predictive of future occurrences. By reviewing data logs, AI finds suspicious activities and flags them as likely dangers, which cybersecurity professionals can then quarantine and investigate further.”
It is critical that security software developers continually upgrade their skill sets. As cyber-attacks become evermore advanced, those charged with protecting digital assets must stay one step ahead.
Prognosis
Governments enforce stringent regulations to protect their citizens’ privacy — regulations like the E.U. General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the new California Consumer Privacy Act are raising the bar for compliance.
Cyberspace has become a digital battleground for nation-states and hacktivists. The cybersecurity industry is continually innovating. It uses advanced machine learning (ML) and AI-driven approaches to analyze network behavior and prevent adversaries from prevailing. It’s an exciting time for the industry, and looking back helps us predict where it’s going.
The prognosis for cybersecurity professionals is good – better than good. Excellent.
The other side of that coin, however, is that it is expected that threats and breaches will also increase. Most industry analysts agree that while we are not yet winning the war, we are making great strides toward shutting down all but the financially well-backed and highly educated threat actors.
Gone are the days where a credible threat is likely to be launched from the proverbial teenaged hacker working from his parent’s dingy basement.
Conclusion
The good guys will win. It undoubtedly doesn’t seem that way to a CISO in the throes of defending his or her systems against an aggressive cyberattack or to a CEO facing the prospect of announcing a historic data breach, but it is nevertheless true.
In the end, enterprises take whatever steps are necessary and realign whatever priorities are needed to survive, and even thrive.
The desire to be on the right side of this struggle for control in cyberspace has attracted some of the most capable minds in government, business, or academia.
Just as with physical threats, attacks, and wars, however, there will always be another threat actor scheming to exploit a perceived vulnerability for their benefit.
This condition provides thoroughly satisfying career opportunities for those with a desire to master the relevant technologies and learn the appropriate skills.
Frequently asked questions
What is cybersecurity and why is important?
Cybersecurity refers to the practice of protecting computer systems, networks, and data from theft, damage, or unauthorized access. In today’s digital age, with increasing threats and sophisticated cyber-attacks, it’s crucial to safeguard personal, corporate, and government information.
How does cybersecurity differ from information security?
While both terms are often used interchangeably, information security is a broader concept that encompasses the protection of all information, regardless of its format. Cybersecurity specifically focuses on digital data and the systems that store, process, or transmit it.
What are the most common types of cyber threats?
Some prevalent cyber threats include malware (like viruses and ransomware), phishing attacks, denial-of-service attacks, and man-in-the-middle attacks. Regularly updating software and being cautious of suspicious emails can help mitigate these risks.
How can I protect my personal devices and data?
Start by using strong, unique passwords for all accounts and enable two-factor authentication where possible. Regularly update software, use a reputable antivirus program, and avoid clicking on suspicious links or downloading files from untrusted sources.
What is the role of encryption in cybersecurity?
Encryption scrambles data into a code to prevent unauthorized access. It’s vital for protecting sensitive information, especially during transmission over the internet.
How can I recognize a phishing scam?
Phishing scams often appear as legitimate emails or messages urging you to click on a link or provide personal information. Be wary of unsolicited communications, especially those with generic greetings, spelling errors, or suspicious URLs.
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