Fortinet recommends that organisations focus on a flexible cyber response model to strengthen defenses against cyber criminals.. Photos of Fortinet
Fortinet has unveiled predictions from the FortiGuard Labs global threat intelligence and research team about the cyberthreat landscape for the next 12 months and beyond.
According to the global cybersecurity leader in driving the convergence of networking and security, the 2024 threat predictions report explores the impact of artificial intelligence on the cyber warfare paradigm, highlighting emergent threat trends set to shape the digital landscape in the coming year and beyond.
In an era marked by the proliferation of Cybercrime-as-a-Service (CaaS) operations and the advent of generative AI, threat actors now possess an array of "easy" buttons, facilitating the execution of attacks.
Leveraging the expanding capabilities in their arsenals, adversaries are poised to elevate the sophistication of their activities. The imminent threat landscape is expected to witness a surge in targeted and stealthy hacks, meticulously crafted to circumvent robust security controls.
This evolution, coupled with increased agility in the execution of attack cycles, underscores the urgent need for organisations worldwide to fortify their collective resilience against evolving cybercriminal tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs).
Evolution of old favourites
FortiGuard Labs has been observing many fan-favourite attack tactics for years and the "classics" aren't going away.
Instead, they're evolving and advancing as attackers gain access to new resources. In addition to the evolution of APT operations, FortiGuard Labs predicts that cybercrime groups, in general, will diversify their targets and playbooks, focusing on more sophisticated and disruptive attacks, and setting their sights on denial of service and extortion.
Cybercrime "turf wars" continue, with multiple attack groups homing in on the same targets and deploying ransomware variants, often within 24 hours or less.
The weaponisation of generative AI will add fuel to an already raging fire, giving attackers an easy means of enhancing many stages of their attacks. Many cybercriminals have used AI to support malicious activities in new ways, ranging from thwarting the detection of social engineering to mimicking human behaviour.
Navigating a new era of cybercrime
Cybercrime impacts everyone, and the ramifications of a breach are often far-reaching.
It is predicted that cybercriminals can apply AI to carry out security threats in 2024.
The security community can take a number of actions to better anticipate the next move of cybercriminals and disrupt their activities: collaborating across the public and private sectors to share threat intelligence, adopting standardised measures for incident reporting, and more.
Organisations also have a vital role to play in disrupting cybercrime.
This starts with creating a culture of cyber resilience -- making cybersecurity everyone’s job -- by implementing ongoing initiatives such as enterprise-wide cybersecurity education programmes and more focused activities like tabletop exercises for executives.
“The 2024 Threat Predictions Report from FortiGuard underscores the imminent escalation of advanced cyber threats driven by the proliferation of CaaS and the impact of generative AI," said Nguyễn Gia Đức, Country Manager Fortinet Việt Nam.
"With threat actors now equipped with advanced tools, employing stealthier techniques and diversifying their targets, a unified response from the cybersecurity community is imperative.
"Considering these revelations, the guidance is clear: organisations should actively cultivate a culture of cyber resilience and bridge the skills gap to strengthen their defences against the rising sophistication of cyber adversaries.
The report serves as a roadmap for navigating these evolving threats and provides actionable insights to empower organisations in securing the digital landscape,” he said. — VNS