Data security is a vital aspect of the modern business world. After all, with threats lurking around every corner, being aware of how you can stay ahead of the curve of emerging threats will help you ensure your business doesn’t fall victim to a vicious attack.
However, with new technologies constantly being released and threats becoming increasingly complex and difficult to address daily, knowing exactly how to do so can be a challenge. But, as we move forward into the future of technology, new ways are also emerging to be able to beat these threats and keep your business safe.In this article, we’re going to go over everything you need to know to keep your business safe from potential attackers, and how artificial intelligence is paving the way to be able to improve your security posture against emerging threats continuously.
The Role of AI in Modern Cyberattacks and Defences
Businesses of all sizes are being targeted by increasingly complex data security threats. Where threats were previously predictable and easier to protect yourself against, the onset of modern tools such as artificial intelligence and automation is making it significantly harder to be able to keep up with modern threats.
AI can be used to create attacks of a higher quality and replicate those attacks in a way that we’ve never seen before. The algorithms that are used to create these attacks are rapidly evolving faster than we’ve ever seen before, and being unaware of these evolving threats is the difference between being able to protect yourself and having to disclose to your customers that their data was leaked as part of a breach.
However, just like it plays a massive role in threat innovation, artificial intelligence is proving to be an incredibly valuable asset against attackers as well. Artificial intelligence is increasingly being used in threat prevention, from detection to analysis and even prediction. Especially with how rapidly threats are developing, AI is the only way to be able to counter those threats quickly enough.
Key Areas of Risk for Today’s Organisations
Phishing and AI-generated Social Engineering
Phishing and social engineering are nothing new, but artificial intelligence takes them to a whole new level. Where previously, attacks like these would have all the pitfalls of a manual attack, such as the ability for human error and difficulty in scalability, but artificial intelligence simply makes these attacks infinitely scalable and more difficult to detect.
Because of this, it can be more difficult to know when you’re facing one of these attacks, which means that those who aren’t knowledgeable about them can easily fall victim to them, making them far more powerful than ever.
Data Leakage through Shadow IT and Cloud Misconfigurations
With so many opportunities for Shadow IT usage within modern businesses, as well as a reliance on the cloud, it can be easy for an unaware business to leak large amounts of data through both of these vulnerabilities.
Shadow IT applications can have exploits or even just routes for leaking data, and cloud misconfigurations can make it easy for anyone looking to lift data from your business to enter your cloud implementation to access said data through poor IAM and encryption. Especially with no encryption or other security features, this can be a massive vulnerability.
Insider Threats and Human Error
Human error is a massive problem for businesses, both by accident and on purpose. With digital systems, it can be a matter of a misclick for chaos to unfold, and even the most studious employee can make mistakes. It’s just unfortunate that this can be catastrophic for your business.
On the other hand, insider threats are a massive way that data can leak out of your business. Even just a disgruntled employee sharing your key data can lead to a lot of negativity for your business, or cause even further problems.
Increased Attack Speed and Scale with Automation
As mentioned previously, automation massively increases the scale of any cyberattack, as it can perfectly replicate an attack over and over. This means it’s even harder to protect yourself if unprepared, as a barrage of attacks is harder to handle than a singular one.
With this, attacks will also come much more quickly, due to the ease of deploying a new attack in this manner, rather than having to manually do so.
How Businesses Can Stay Secure
Implementing Layered Security Defences
Implementing a layered security defence can be key to helping keep out more complex and dangerous threats and attacks.
This means implementing multiple defensive mechanisms at multiple levels, such as within physical devices, such as your network, at endpoints, within applications, around your data, and even at the identity management level. By doing so, you make it more difficult for attackers to get through your defences.
Leveraging Threat Intelligence and Real-Time Monitoring
Threat intelligence is vital to protecting yourself against threats, as data on possible threats will help you make sure your defences are up to scratch against them.
By being aware of possible threats, through intelligence sources such as open-source intelligence feeds and commercial intelligence providers, you can be in the know about potential threats.
Regular Employee Training and Security Awareness
Keeping your employees informed and aware of possible threats and how to look out for them will ensure that threats such as phishing and social engineering attacks become far less potent. The best way to beat these strategies is to keep people informed, so they don’t get caught out.
Regular training and monitoring can help you find out and support employees who might be more susceptible or vulnerable to these kinds of attacks, to help give them extra support where required to be able to protect themselves.
Strengthening Identity and Access Management
Identity and access management is like the front door of your business. Much like you wouldn’t forgo a physical lock to your business’s offices, your identity and access management systems are critical to keeping attackers out of your organisation’s most critical data.
Principles like the Principle of Least Privilege (the idea that nobody should have a higher level of access than they require to perform their functions) help make identity management systems more successful.
How We Can Help
Security is more important than ever for any business, and failing to prepare yourself to be able to handle these threats can cause lots of problems in the long run. By educating yourself and preparing for modern data security threats, you can get the upper hand to make sure that your business is covered.
If you’re looking for a helping hand when it comes to cybersecurity, reach out to us today. We’re here to help and will ensure you have everything you need to be able to take the steps to keep your business secure.Get in touch with us now, and see how we can help.