Cyber Resilience in a Rapidly Changing World: Staying Ahead with Evolving Technology

With rapid digitization, the risk of cyber threats is also increasing. To strengthen your cyber security, check out technologies that can safeguard your company data.

Check out technologies to combat data breaches, ransomware attacks, and phishing efforts. (HT_PRINT)

Technological breakthroughs have grown extremely prevalent in an increasingly digitized environment, revolutionizing the various facets of our daily lives. The growth of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in recent years has been a spectacular breakthrough, ushering in a new era of possibilities and transformations. AI technologies and applications have found their way into a variety of industries, allowing for automation, better decision-making, and overall efficiency. However, as the world embraces digitalization and artificial intelligence, it is also confronted with the darker side of this technological revolution: the new perils of cybercrime.

Particularly in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, the travel industry has seen tremendous expansion and appeal. As people regain their confidence to travel and the unprecedented rebound in outbound travel across the globe has increased the exposure to cybercriminals. The travel and tourist industry has become a target of cyberattacks in recent years, suffering a variety of threats such as data breaches, ransomware attacks, and phishing efforts

The financial consequences of cybercrime are enormous. According to industry forecasts, the costs of cyberattacks would climb by a remarkable 15% every year, reaching a staggering $10.5 trillion by 2025. This emphasizes the critical need for organizations to commit significant resources to strengthen their cybersecurity efforts. Recognizing the importance of this necessity, an astounding 85% of small and medium firms (SMEs) have stated their intention to boost IT security investment by the end of 2023. That explains why investing in comprehensive cybersecurity measures is not only a must, but also a strategic imperative for long-term success.

To address the evolving threat landscape, organizations must embrace the power of evolving technologies and utilize it to their own benefit. Following are a few technology advances that can help you combat cybercrime:

Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML)

AI and ML are revolutionizing the field of cybersecurity by providing advanced capabilities to detect, analyze, and respond to cyber threats in real-time. These technologies enable systems to automatically learn from vast amounts of data and identify patterns, anomalies, and potential risks that might be difficult for human operators to detect. AI and ML algorithms can analyze network traffic, user behavior, and system logs to identify malicious activities, such as malware infections, unauthorized access attempts, or abnormal data transfers. This proactive approach allows organizations to respond swiftly and effectively, minimizing the impact of cyberattacks.

Blockchain

Blockchain technology, originally developed for cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin, it offers a decentralized and tamper-resistant method of storing and verifying data. Its inherent properties, such as transparency, immutability, and consensus-based validation, make it highly suitable for enhancing cybersecurity. In the context of cybersecurity, blockchain can be used to secure critical data, authenticate identities, and establish secure communication channels. By decentralizing data storage and ensuring that information cannot be easily altered, blockchain technology adds an extra layer of protection against unauthorized access, data tampering, and insider threats.

Zero Trust Architecture

Traditional network security models operate on the assumption that once a user or device gains access to the internal network, they can be trusted. However, with the increasing sophistication of cyber threats, the Zero Trust architecture has gained prominence. Zero Trust revolves around the concept of "never trust, always verify." Under this model, all users, devices, and network traffic are treated as potentially untrusted and are continuously verified and authenticated before being granted access to critical resources. Zero Trust employs various security measures such as multi-factor authentication, strict access controls, and continuous monitoring to ensure that only authorized entities can access sensitive data and systems. By implementing Zero Trust principles, organizations can mitigate the risk of internal and external attacks, limit lateral movement, and protect their digital assets.

Staying ahead of cyber threats requires organizations to embrace evolving technologies as integral components of their cybersecurity strategies. These technologies have helped many organizations in the industry stay safe while also lowering their security management expenditures. As businesses continue to grapple with the growing challenges of cybersecurity, those at the forefront of technological innovation will gain a competitive advantage by safeguarding their operations, reputation, and, most importantly, their invaluable data.

(By Suraj Tiwari, Head - Information Security, VFS Global)