Want to know the best cybersecurity trends for 2023? Read about them right here in this cybersecurity guide.
Cybersecurity is incredibly important. Without it, businesses would be more vulnerable to cyberattacks, which are often extremely damaging. From stolen data to lost money, the damage can be pretty scary.
For example, a recent study found that 40% of small businesses that experienced a cyberattack had to deal with at least eight hours of downtime as a direct result.
Whether you’re a small business yourself or a much larger organization, cybersecurity concerns will likely be at the front of your mind. After all, everything you’ve worked so hard to build could potentially come crashing down in a matter of minutes if your business were to be the victim of a cyberattack.
There’s no need to panic, though, as cybersecurity trends are stronger than ever in 2023. Now, protecting your business and equipping it with all the necessary cybersecurity measures is truly a piece of cake. Even non-tech-savvy business owners can engage with these trends and ultimately benefit from them, which is great news.
With that said, sit back, relax, and take your time reading through the current cybersecurity trends that are changing all the major industries, from digital marketing to healthcare.
1. API Monitoring
In order to better protect your business, it’s essential to monitor APIs.
In the age of cloud computing, most businesses are using APIs so that they can integrate with third-party applications from different companies, leading to greater business intelligence.
However, due to the nature of APIs, some security risks are very real. As a result, you need start API monitoring so that potential cybersecurity threats and concerns can be spotted immediately. For example, if your system has been breached, you can receive a real-time notification which then allows you and your software engineers to act quickly.
Without API monitoring, it’s much easier for hackers to gain unauthorized access to your important data and files. If the data is sensitive (e.g., customer bank details) then it can potentially damage your reputation in your industry forever. Of course, this isn’t a desirable outcome, which is why API monitoring should be at the top of your to-do list in 2023 if you’re a business that relies on APIs to offer your products.
2. Phishing Training for Employees
Phishing has been a growing problem in the world of business for the past ten years.
In case you didn’t know already, phishing is when hackers and scammers send messages to businesses that are designed as genuine but actually contain harmful links. If you click on these links, the cybercriminals can then potentially gain access to all kinds of information, such as phone numbers and credit cards. Again, if you’re a business with lots of sensitive customer data on file, then this is the last thing you want to happen.
The nature of phishing means that it’s a company-wide problem. Any employee with a company account must be made aware of phishing and trained on how to spot phishing attempts. Otherwise, employees are more likely to unknowingly open and interact with phishing messages. When they do this using a company email account (or something of a similar nature), the consequences can be very bad. This is why efficient phishing training is invaluable.
Where Is Phishing Training Available?
Luckily, it’s easy to train employees to recognize the dangers of phishing. There are lots of online phishing courses and training programs that employees can be enrolled on, whether they’re remote employees or in-house workers. Even a single day of training can be enough to equip them with the skills they need for the rest of their lives. Finally, both you and your employees can wave goodbye to dangerous phishing messages and say hello to ultra-strong cybersecurity. What’s not to love?
3. Two-Factor Authentication
Another fast-growing trend is the use of two-factor authentication in the workplace.
Essentially, how this works is simple: employees with business accounts on any applications are instructed to turn on two-factor authentication. What this means is that whenever they log into their accounts, they’ll need to verify their identity via email or SMS before access is granted. Otherwise, they’ll be unable to get into their business accounts.
This is a genius yet incredibly simple cybersecurity strategy that’s saving thousands of businesses from potential cyberattacks. The reason for this is because it neutralizes the danger of leaked passwords. Even if a hacker has successfully stolen an employee’s company password, they still won’t be able to access their account due to being unable to get past the second authentication required. In some cases, it’ll be text message verification, while in other cases it’ll be email verification.
4. Antivirus Software
If your business doesn’t currently use antivirus software across all its business devices, then it’s way behind the times. Not having antivirus software is like leaving your front door open in the middle of the night. It’s essentially an open invitation for hackers and cybercriminals, and they don’t need to be asked twice!
All you need to do is equip all your business devices, from computers to smartphones, with antivirus software. This way, employees are better protected, and the threat of malware and viruses is suddenly reduced.
Many businesses opt to pay for antivirus software. However, there are plenty of free alternatives on the market if you’re a business that’s looking to cut costs.
5. VPNs (Virtual Private Networks)
A few years ago, not many people or businesses knew what VPNs were. Now, everything has changed. VPNs have exploded in popularity and are now being used by both everyday people and businesses in order to:
- Secure their networks
- Hide sensitive data
- Gain access to blocked services from other countries
Business VPNs work by giving office and remote employees a virtual network to do their work through. Essentially, the VPN becomes the source of their data, meaning employees’ IP addresses get to be completely hidden.
Moving into the future, VPNs are going to be commonplace in company offices. Already, 68% of companies have started using VPNs (OpenVPN), so you can expect thousands of others to start doing the same. Hopefully, you’ll be one of them.