Cybersecurity Threats to Watch Out For in 2023

As more workers operate remotely or hybrid, secure mobile workforces become ever more important – this was evidenced in a recent study conducted by video conferencing software firm Owl Labs.

Although high-profile data breaches make headlines, smaller attacks such as phishing, email spoofing and man in the middle (MitM) attacks are far more frequent.

1. Social Engineering

Cybercriminals are constantly searching for opportunities to exploit individuals and businesses in order to steal data and money, from nation-state actors to hacktivists utilizing advanced skills to target organizations and their personnel.

These attackers will continue to use social engineering techniques to gain entry to networks and systems, such as “quid pro quo” attacks whereby an unauthorised individual poses as a delivery driver or custodial employee to gain entry to secure facilities.

Malicious actors continue to use open source code repositories as a method for infiltrating software and devices with malware, so zero-trust infrastructure is one method of counteracting this threat. Learn more about Kolide and how it can safeguard your workspaces against this and other risks by clicking below!

2. Cyber Espionage

Cyber espionage attacks target intellectual property and data used by businesses for operation as well as government agencies, potentially having devastating repercussions for both their brand reputation and security.

Criminals employ social engineering techniques like phishing and social engineering phishing attacks in order to gain unwarranted entry to systems and networks. To mitigate this threat, organizations and individuals alike should invest in security awareness training courses, employ email filtering solutions that filter suspicious emails, adopt multi-factor authentication, and implement monitoring tools that detect brute force attacks.

Threat experts such as Cyril Noel-Tagoe predict that in 2023, data thievery and exfiltration will replace data encryption as ransomware means. This trend could result in fewer organizations actually paying ransom sums demanded; new forms of extortion such as double extortion ransomware where original files are first stolen before encryption occur may emerge as well.

3. Cyber-Physical Systems (CPS)

Cyber attacks are increasingly targeting critical physical systems (CPS), including automobiles, medical devices and building controls. These intelligent networked systems connect to physical reality while using intelligent mechanisms for adaptability, autonomy, efficiency and functionality as well as safety.

These systems have become an increasingly vital component of critical infrastructure, government operations, and everyday life; consequently, they have become a target for cybercriminals who wish to gain access to personal and financial data or penetrate network infrastructures.

For security teams to effectively address this threat, it’s imperative that they implement strong vendor management and patching and configuration management practices as well as multi-factor authentication, email filtering solutions and monitoring endpoints to detect suspicious activities – measures which will help minimize supply chain attacks, data breaches and malware that spreads from host to host.

4. Data Exfiltration

Data exfiltration refers to the unlawful transfer of confidential data from one secure environment into an insecure one without authorization, typically by hackers from outside or inside companies and malicious insiders. Hackers may employ malware-spread attacks against different devices within a network with the goal of gaining access to corporate and user credentials for theft. While their activities remain undetected by security systems until they exfiltrate large volumes in one go or small amounts over an extended period.

Internal threats arise when users click on links or download attachments during phishing and social engineering attacks, leading to ransomware emails demanding payment in order to recover stolen information. Furthermore, modern vehicles rely on WiFi and Bluetooth technology that exposes them to various vulnerabilities from hackers that could include taking control of the vehicle or installing microphones for eavesdropping purposes.

5. Open Ports

Computer networking relies on ports as communication channels between devices. If these ports are misconfigured or contain vulnerabilities exploited by threat actors, it could allow them to gain entry to an organization’s network and extract confidential data or deny service altogether.

Open ports used by SMB protocol allow attackers to search networks for vulnerable servers and gain access to network data. Other open ports that pose potential security threats include those related to TFTP, DNS, or NetBIOS services.

Many organizations are using remote working to mitigate the COVID-19 pandemic, creating new security risks. To deal with them effectively, organizations should create zero-trust infrastructures and implement appropriate identity and access management (IAM) measures such as multi-factor authentication and real-time monitoring measures.