Cyber Security Trends to Watch Out For in 2021

The world is changing rapidly and technology is penetrating human life more deeply than ever before. Although technological developments have a big share in this, unanticipated events such as the pandemic also have an effect. Changes such as remote working, online education, 5G, and digital currencies, which have become widespread within this period, increase digital security vulnerabilities and cause malicious people to try different methods to accomplish their goals. So, will cyber threats exponentially increase in 2021? What are the possible cyber security problems and solutions? Here are the cyber security trends you need to keep in mind in order to safely exist in the digital world in 2021...

Deepfake Will Become a Serious Threat to Business Life

The word "deepfake" is used to define the type of media in which the camera images of people can be partially or completely altered through artificial neural networks. People in photos or videos can be replaced with others, and this creates a big risk, especially in today's environment, where meetings and many other interviews are held over the internet. With Deepfake, malicious people can take the place of any company manager and learn about the company’s confidential information or swindle the company by taking on the identities of other employees. Therefore, deepfake is one of the most important cyber security vulnerabilities of 2021, particularly in the corporate area.

Ransomware Attacks Will Increase and Continue

Applications that allow cyber hackers to block access to personal or company information and charge hefty fees in return for not leaking this information are called ransomware. In 2020, ransomware attacks increased seven times comparing to the previous years, and turned into a large payout activity. Successful attacks and the high amounts paid by companies or individuals in response to these attacks trigger malicious groups to find more powerful methods for more effective ransomware attacks. Therefore, just like in recent years, it seems that ransomware attacks will continue to increase in 2021.

Fileless Malware Will Continue to Rise in 2021

When it comes to "malware", the first thing that comes to mind is malicious files downloaded from different sources, such as websites or e-mails, but there is also malicious software that does not contain any files. Increasing every year, fileless malware can infiltrate your devices by being added to operating systems’ tools and processes. It can capture information from computers, tablets and smartphones or use their own features such as cameras and microphones. For this reason, in 2021, fileless malware is one of the cyber security threats that can affect anyone using technological devices, regardless of their corporate or individual status.

With 5G, Spread of DDoS Attacks Will Accelerate

Being among the most discussed technological developments after the Covid-19 outbreak, G5 is among the technologies that companies frequently benefit from, including the Internet of Things and cloud-based services. 5G provides a much faster internet connection while enabling new services to come into play. However, 5G is subjected much faster and more comprehensively to attacks related to direct internet connections and internet sites, such as DoS and DDoS. DDoS attacks, which increased in the early 2000s but decreased with the security measures taken over time, are expected to reach a whole different level in 2021 through 5G.

As Digital Currencies Gain Importance, Digital Attacks Will Increase

Digital currencies, also known as cryptocurrencies, have become one of the most important items on the agenda in recent years, especially with Bitcoin, and will continue to rise. Sectors that have slowed down or stopped operating due to the pandemic, increasing unemployment, and the radical decisions of countries regarding monetary policies as a result of this, decrease the value of local currencies while making digital currencies increasingly popular. And all these developments make digital wallets one of the first targets of cyberattackers. Therefore, in 2021, attacks on digital wallets ,as well as digital currencies, will be more prominent.

The Storm of Digital Transformation in 2020 Will Evolve to Cyber Security Developments in 2021

Some of the companies that had to quickly and unexpectedly go digital in 2020 will start working from the office next year, while others will continue to work from home. Cyber security measures are of great importance in both cases. The vulnerabilities that may arise due to location changes will increase the risk in terms of cyber security, while those who work consistently from home will cause the existing security threats to continue. During this period, data security will be a sensitive topic and concern. Critical data should be protected with Privileged Access Management (PAM) solutions, and authorized accounts accessing digital assets should be managed and controlled. Kron is one of the leading cyber security companies mentioned in the Gartner Magic Quadrant for PAM report, and offers comprehensive cyber security solutions, such as Single Connect, that allow you to safely survive in the digital world for years to come.