Cyber-security is a phenomenon, which keeps evolving and developing each day. Certain trends, developments, and innovations arise that boost the cyber world and eventually a nation. These trends or mechanisms have some impact in the future as well.

Global pandemic stuck in 2020, and since then, the cybercriminals have been breeding through their attacks in the cyber world. To combat the same and protect the cyberspaces, several trends in cyber-security have become essential. These trends are interlinked, affecting other factors like internet privacy and IT sectors.

As we head towards 2022, let us take a glance at the cyber trends which existed in 2021 and its stepping in 2022 –

1) Protection of Critical Infrastructure: Cybercriminals make critical infrastructures their target as these infrastructures form a chain for a country’s economy to make it sustainable and stable. Due to cyber threats, if one infrastructure is devastated, it seriously impacts the overall economic chain.
Several steps have been initiated to protect the same, bypassing specific legislation, implementing OT networks, etc. In 2022, these measures should persist since the critical infrastructure is expanding its protection in further years must be more efficient.

2) Artificial Intelligence: This tool spreads its wings rapidly with several developments in all the spheres. AI plays a crucial role in cyber-security by identifying potential weak spots and collecting information. It also aims to free up human resources who can focus on unique ideas, and artificial intelligence can manage the other works.
In upcoming years, there will be several emerging factors of AI, like AI and machine learning; several AI models will be built up for analyzing systems undergoing cyberattacks. Several organizations will also use it to detect attacks and maintain cyber security.

3) Digital Transformation and Cloud: Many people are doing work from home due to the sudden existence of the pandemic. This resulted in more applications and data moving towards the cloud. There are certain benefits and potential risks of the same, and the concern of their protection and security have arisen.
In order to identify the good demand for this security, various procedures can be developed in the following years that take consumers’ views into account.

4) The threat of Ransomware: The threat of ransomware attacks increased in 2021 compared to 2019, as per the UK National Cyber Security Centre. This type of threat involves infecting devices with viruses through phishing attacks. Enormous fines are charged on companies to get rescued from these attacks.
The only method to prevent these threats is education since people who are aware of these attacks does not become a victim of them. In 2022, the initial position must be incorporated where people are made aware of the ransomware attacks and measures for protection.

5) GDPR Compliance: The General Data Privacy Regulation is one of the most phenomenal data privacy developments in the European Union. GDPR has an immense impact on global data protection requirements. It imposes a uniform data security law on all the EU nations so that individual states will not need to create the law for their own. This law affects all the EU organizations and markets to a greater extent as it is effective and consistent.
However, all the nations have not adopted the GDPR Compliance since they used their previous data protection laws. Countries must gradually start implementing the same and comply with it in 2022, as universal data protection can result in fewer cyberattacks and risks.

Along with these critical trends in 2021, other trends like cyber-security in healthcare services, education sectors, mobile devices, financial services sector, etc., have also emerged, and they will expand in 2022 with certain improvisations.

The challenges in further years will increase, and many will become complicated. However, specific innovations and measures should also be implemented to curb and protect people from cyber threats.

Our world is like a rolling wheel, which never stops in its way. There may be several obstructions in its journey. Nonetheless, it is the responsibility of every citizen to ensure cyber awareness and remain vigilant of these attacks. The provisions and trends made by a particular nation must be understood and eventually implemented to protect ourselves and our nation from these cyber predators. If this becomes possible, the looming 2022 will be meaningful and exemplary…!

Chinmayee V. Kulkarni

Content Writer, WCSF