AI changed everything last year. Now, in 2024, the real battle begins: Who will harness the power of new technologies and the psychology of human behavior more effectively – us or the cybercriminals?
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The professionalization of cybercrime continues to make steady progress and will reach a new level of maturity by 2024, thanks to the emergence of AI and new powerful technologies. Now is the time for organizations to invest in their security, as the developments of the past few years are just the beginning of an emerging future where cybercriminals will develop ever more sophisticated methods to achieve their goals.
Trend 1We are yet to see the full impact of generative AI in cyber security
Trend 2All new technologies like quantum computing and 5G will be exploited by cybercriminals
Trend 3into an even more highly professionalized and profitable business
Cybercriminals and hacktivists are increasingly using these tumultuous times to advance their agendas, whether it’s to express dissent, support causes, or exploit situations for financial gain. With a significant increase in incidents and the use of disinformation-as-a-service (DaaS), the digital landscape has become a complex battleground. This escalation in cyber threats spares no sector, placing the public sector and critical infrastructure in a particularly vulnerable position.
Trend 4The hacktivist movement is gaining momentum in an increasingly fragmented world
Trend 5to become a crucial tool in hackers’ arsenal to destabilize organizations
Trend 62024 will be a year of security challenges for the public sector and critical infrastructure
Cybercriminals know that their greatest chance of success lies in playing on human emotions, and that’s why social engineering is at the core of their practices. With the professionalization of cybercrime and the rise of AI, cybercriminals can now create truly convincing and complex social engineering attacks. This makes it harder to tell the difference between genuine and malicious messages. And with more digital ways to communicate, these threats are spreading faster than ever.
Trend 7will result in even more realistic and dangerous cyberattacks
Trend 8will challenge cyber security teams like never before
The report doesn’t just highlight the problems. It also gives you practical advice on how to protect yourself from these threats in the form of a security-best-practices checklist.
Criminals need ever fewer skills and organizational power to launch a highly effective attack, and that is going to be a huge problem for us.
Ralf Schneider
Allianz Senior Fellow and Head of Cyber Security and NextGenIT Think Tank
When we analyze a threat, we need to look at two things: the intent of an actor and their capability. Events like the invasion of Ukraine have led to an intent of nation-states to use attacks to succeed in their war efforts. Regarding capability, we are seeing nation-states developing capabilities that end up being used against us.
John Noble
Non-executive director and chair of the Cyber Security Committee of NHS Digital in England
Includes two full-length interviews and helpful security best practices – so your organization can stay ahead of the latest cybercrime trends.
