The coming year will see cyber defenders having to seek new ways to protect data, according to cybersecurity firm Cyfirma.
The coming year will see cyber defenders having to seek new ways to protect data, according to cybersecurity firm Cyfirma, which had made a few predictions on the emerging cyber threats in 2021.
Nation-state hackers for hire
Sophisticated state-sponsored cybercriminals will increasingly hire other nation cybercriminals to execute their agenda, the firm said.
“There will be a blurring of lines between state and non-state threat actors as more players enter the hacking trade. Hackers-for-hire marketplaces have seen a rampant increase in activity, and this will result in more prolific attacks in 2021,” according to the report.
Intellectual property, trade secrets and research data will be of particular interest to hackers. State-sponsored cybercriminals may also look to accelerate corporate espionage in support of their national agenda to create competitive advantages for local businesses, it said.
Particularly, transactional and user behavioural data will be high on hackers’ target list.
Increased AI in attacks
Hackers will likely install malicious code to manipulate algorithm behaviour, such as crypto-mining malware that could turn machines into attack systems. Attacks will become more sophisticated with the rise of 5G, NLP, and quantum computing, said researchers.
Deepfake attacks to increase
In 2021, deep fake technology will be more widely used to cause misinformation and corporate espionage. The technology will manipulate perception and trick victims into taking unintended actions, similar to social engineering attacks, but could be much more insidious.
READ more: Emerging cyber threat predictions in 2021