The Cybersecurity Renaissance: How Old Strategies Meet New Threats in Modern Defense
Cybersecurity has become a pressing need due to the rise in cybercrimes across the globe. Cybercriminals and cybercriminals continue to develop new techniques to infiltrate systems and steal sensitive information. This is why technological advancements in cybersecurity are so important to keep us protected in the digital world.
Technological advances in artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning
These technologies allow security systems to analyze and predict attack patterns, identify vulnerabilities, and respond proactively and immediately to protect systems.
AI and ML can detect anomalies in user and system behavior, helping to identify potential threats before an attack occurs. These systems can also learn from each attack and implement more effective preventative measures in the future.
The current use of AI has been criticized for feeding on past data to produce results that matter in the current context. However, SambaNova Systems CEO Rodrigo Liang predicts that collaboration between hyperscalers and AI models will completely transform the data analytics landscape by combining recent data with real-time adjustments , resulting in significant improvements in speed, accuracy, and costs.
Blockchain as an ally of cybersecurity
Another significant trend for 2024 in the field of cybersecurity is the use of blockchain technology. This “chain of blocks” is a distributed technology that provides greater transparency and security in digital transactions.
Blockchain relies on a public, decentralized record of all transactions, making manipulation and fraud difficult . This is especially relevant in the realm of cybersecurity, as it can provide greater trust in online transactions and make phishing attacks and data theft more difficult.
And while this is a field where cyberattacks have also occurred, tracking and recovering information can be more effective. For example, according to SlowMist’s report on blockchain security and anti-money laundering (AML) and the Chainalysis report on crypto crime, in the first half of 2023, stolen funds were successfully recovered in ten incidents. Of the $232 million that was stolen, an impressive total of $219 million was returned.
The role of quantum computing in cybersecurity
Quantum computing is another technological advancement that promises to revolutionize cybersecurity in 2024. Unlike traditional binary computing systems, quantum computing uses qubits to process and store information.
Quantum computers are capable of performing faster and more complex calculations than conventional computers, making them ideal for solving cryptographic problems and improving online security . However, they also pose new challenges to protecting systems, as they can quickly crack encryption algorithms that are currently secure.
According to Liz Centoni, executive vice president, chief strategy officer and general manager of applications at Cisco, post-quantum cryptography (PQC) is expected to be adopted by 2024, even before standardization, as a software-based solution running on conventional systems to protect data from future quantum attacks .
“Browsers, operating systems and libraries will implement PQC, while early adopters will explore integrating it into protocols such as SSL/TLS 1.3, which governs traditional cryptography,” he says . In addition, enterprises will also begin implementing PQC as they aim to ensure data protection in the post-quantum world.
The rise of cloud-based security solutions
With the growth of cloud computing, a new generation of security solutions has also emerged based on this space. These solutions offer more advanced and flexible protection by allowing organizations to store and analyze large amounts of security data in the cloud.
Cloud-based security solutions use advanced algorithms and machine learning to identify and prevent potential threats. Plus, they update automatically, ensuring they are always up to date with the latest cybersecurity techniques.
According to the Google Cloud Cybersecurity Forecast 2024 report , during 2023, Mandiant collaborated with VMware to fix a newly discovered vulnerability that allowed attackers to execute code on guest virtual machines (VMs). Although the impact of this vulnerability was limited to a single hypervisor, it served as evidence that malicious actors are focusing their efforts on cloud environments to establish and expand their presence.
In 2024, we will see these techniques evolve and cross the boundaries between different cloud environments. Malicious actors will look to leverage misconfigurations and identity issues to move laterally across different cloud environments.
The future of cybersecurity and its impact on companies
As we move into the future, it is imperative that cybersecurity continues to evolve to meet ever-changing threats . Technological advancements in artificial intelligence, blockchain technology, quantum computing, biometric and encrypted authentication, as well as cloud efforts will lay the groundwork for greater online security.
For businesses, this means they must quickly adapt to new technological advances and take proactive measures to protect their systems and data. Investing in advanced cybersecurity solutions , optimizing the work of the security team, and relying on key allies like Technologydowntown will be essential to stay protected.
