Cyber Security Trends to Look For in 2024

 In our rapidly evolving digital landscape, staying ahead of cyber threats is paramount. As we enter 2024, the world of cyber security is poised for significant changes and challenges. In this blog post, we explore four key cybersecurity trends that are likely to shape the landscape in the coming year. 

1. AI and Machine Learning Powered Threat Detection: 

The integration of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) into cybersecurity practices is not new, but its significance is set to grow in 2024. As cyber threats become more sophisticated, AI and ML algorithems play a crucial role in identifying patterns and anomalies in real-time, allowing organisations to respond swiftly to potential breaches. This trend will empower cybersecurity professionals to proactively defend against emerging threats and adapt to evolving attack methods. 

One use-case of this could be through AI/MLs ability to sift through large amounts of data and find outlying events which indicate security risks. A good example of this is ExtraHop Reveal(x), which uses AI/ML to surface detections from raw network data for SOC teams to investigate. Trying to analyse tens or hundreds of gigabytes of data would otherwise not be feasible. 

AI/ML also allows an organisation to improve or extend their security coverage, especially smaller organisations who have yet to make the step to a 24/7 SOC (either in-house or managed). The always-on nature of AI/ML, perhaps coupled with suitable remediation playbooks, can ensure the most dangerous threats are contained even if they happen outside of core business hours. 

2. Zero Trust Architecture: 

The traditional approach of trusting entities inside a network and distrusting those outsides has become outdated in the face of increasingly sophisticated cyber-attacks. Zero Trust Architecture is a paradigm shift that assumes no entity, whether internal or external, can be trusted by default. In 2024, organisations are expected to adopt Zero Trust principles more widely, implementing strict access controls, continuous monitoring, and multifactor authentication to ensure the highest level of security. This approach minimises the risk of unauthorised access and lateral movement within a network. 

Zero Trust does provide challenges in deployment, as network reconfiguration maybe required to ensure traffic is correctly routed through the relevant policy enforcement points. Thus, organisations may adopt a “long game” approach on moving to a Zero Trust model. 

3. Rise of Quantum-Safe Cryptography: 

With the advent of quantum computing on the horizon, the need for quantum-safe cryptography becomes imperative. Quantum computers have the potential to break widely used cryptographic algorithms, posing a serious threat to data security. In 2024, cybersecurity experts are likely to focus on developing and implementing quantum-resistant cryptographic methods to safeguard sensitive information. Organisations that embrace quantum-safe cryptography early will be better positioned to withstand the challenges posed by quantum computing advancements. 

4. Security Automation and Orchestration: 

As the volume and complexity of cyber threats continue to increase, the role of automation and orchestration in cybersecurity operations becomes more pronounced. In 2024, organisations will increasingly leverage security automation to streamline routine tasks, respond to incidents faster, and reduce the burden on cybersecurity teams. Automated incident response, threat intelligence sharing, and orchestration of security tools will become integral components of a robust cybersecurity strategy, allowing organisations to enhance their resilience against evolving threats. The use of playbooks is a good example to ensure any alert presented to a SOC analyst is supported by as much information as possible to support their immediate decision making. Examples of this include any files being flagged as suspicious are automatically validated against platforms such as Virus Total or IP addresses are cross-checked with threat intelligence feeds for any history in cyber-attacks.

Conclusion 

As highlighted above, AI/ML can offer tangible benefits but there is a danger that vendors rush to claim that products use it simply to be on the “bandwagon”. Thus, genuine use-cases and benefits become hidden amongst all the noise and hype. When evaluting products to add to our portfolio of tools, KedronUK look beyond to glossy datasheet to see how vendor claims really stack up and if they are the right tool for our customers. 

For more information on our full product portfolio, please contact us, or email our sales team at sales@kedronuk.com. 

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