What can we expect in terms of cybersecurity in 2018?

With the approach of the new year, I have the need to think a little. What cyber attacks we can expect in the next year. The only certain thing is that technology is not bad or good, it is how we use it that gives meaning.In the following years we will see a hyperconnectivity, since our computers, tablets, smartphones, televisions, fridges, now even our cars and planes have connectivity to the Internet, which creates some possible security breaches that should be attended to.Among these gaps it is convenient to pay attention to the ransomware, which has already been in our lives and we have been aware of some attacks and their structure, this will continue and the next ones to be able to suffer attacks will be the big providers of cloud services, which will affect many companies and businesses. We will have a renewal in attacks by malware, because the attackers are writing highly mutable code which allows the use of multiple attack vectors. We could expect some attack on critical infrastructures for the day to day, which would be devastating for the population [3].With the rise of self-learning applications, attacks based solely on digital signatures or fingerprints have been refined to attacks with greater intelligence [4] than just the automation of a scheme attack - verification - exploitation of vulnerabilities, in which protection schemes have seen great improvements, making it harder to detect breaches in security.Just as the attackers themselves use machine learning, defenders also begin to use these same schemes to improve protection and automate the way they obtain information about the vulnerabilities of the IT infrastructure given the increasing complexity of the same. it makes monitoring more and more intelligent [2]. So we will soon witness battles between artificial intelligences [1] both attack and defense, does not mean that other proven schemes are not used, but will be necessary complements.One more aspect to consider is the changes in the legislation, both in Europe and mainly in the USA, in the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and in the Network Information Security (NIS) for the following year, which will take on relevance in how to respond to threats to IT infrastructures. These changes are due to the high profile attacks that have occurred throughout 2017.Thanks to an independent study conducted by Palo Alto Networks, which shows that there is a broad awareness of the importance of the security of the IT infrastructure, but that there is a lack or better said failures in the communication of events [5], in how to respond and who has to carry out the recovery of daily operations, which motivates the changes in said regulations already mentioned.So, we can take the strategy proposed by Palo Alto Networks [4], which I insist, is a guide since there are many more:

• Translate, it is very common for IT professionals to use a technical language, but those who make decisions do not, so make translations into the language that manages management and those who make decisions in the organization.
• Clearly quantifies the value for the business, always in terms that are understood by those who make the decisions.
• Be clear and precise in security risks not all those responsible for cybersecurity, not to mention less than half are aware that preventing is important in order not to regret losses.
• Make a balance between the investment against the risks, this since the constant and continuous changes of the information technologies, what was good today will not be tomorrow and
• The change is good, this being the very nature of cybersecurity every change must be seen with good eyes and with it come new business opportunities.

References.

[1]

“Expect a New Battle in Cybersecurity: AI versus AI | Symantec Blogs.” [Online]. Available: https://www.symantec.com/blogs/expert-perspectives/ai-versus-ai. [Accessed: 24-Nov-2017].

[2]

“Why Machine Intelligence Holds New Hope for Short-Handed Defenders | Symantec Blogs.” [Online]. Available: https://www.symantec.com/blogs/feature-stories/why-machine-intelligence-holds-new-hope-short-handed-defenders-0. [Accessed: 24-Nov-2017].

[3]

“Fortinet Predicts Highly Destructive and Self-learning ‘Swarm’ Cyberattacks in 2018.” [Online]. Available: /corporate/about-us/newsroom/press-releases/2017/predicts-self-learning-swarm-cyberattacks-2018.html. [Accessed: 24-Nov-2017].

[4]

Palo Alto Networks, “STATE OF THE CYBERSECURITY NATION: LEGISLATION AND EUROPE’S SECURITY PROFESSIONALS.” www.paloaltonetworks.com, 2017.

[5]

“Legislation Incoming: How Prepared Is the Cybersecurity Community?,” 08–08-Nov-2017. [Online]. Available: https://researchcenter.paloaltonetworks.com/2017/11/cso-legislation-incoming-prepared-cybersecurity-community/. [Accessed: 22-Nov-2017].

[6]

“2018 Predictions & Recommendations: Advances in Machine Learning Will Improve Both Patient Care and Cybersecurity,” 17–17-Nov-2017. [Online]. Available: https://researchcenter.paloaltonetworks.com/2017/11/2018-predictions-recommendations-advances-machine-learning-will-improve-patient-care-cybersecurity/. [Accessed: 22-Nov-2017].