New Year Cybersecurity Predictions

As we come to the end of 2022, it’s time to reflect and prepare for what comes next. After reviewing the cybersecurity landscape this past year, software company Avast notes 3 major predictions for 2023.

According to Avast, ransomware is likely to get worse than it already is. Social engineering techniques, like phishing attacks, are lucrative for cyber-criminals and offer them access to large corporate organizations. Different types of scams were making the rounds this past year– anything from tech support scams to romance scams and everything in between. Threat Intelligence Director at Avast, Michal Salat, notes that next year attacks dealing with economic and environmental concerns will likely be on the rise.

Since cybercrime is a profitable business venture, threat actors adapt and change as the technology changes. Criminal groups are now more interested in paying regular individuals and young people to participate in malicious activities. Anything from installing malware on an employer’s computer to carrying out DDoS attacks is becoming increasingly easier for the average person to do, and bad actors are capitalizing on this.

Looking for a way to mitigate this type of risk? You can protect yourself from scams by doing the following:

• Pay with a credit card versus a debit card or bank transfer
• Avoid downloading links from untrustworthy sources
• Research companies and websites before you purchase anything
• Keep your personal information private
• Use multi-factor authentication (MFA) or two-factor authentication (2FA)

To help prevent ransomware, you can:

• Keep software updated
• Use an ad blocker and antivirus
• Backup systems on a regular basis