Cyber Security Predictions 2021
2021 is here and although a new year has begun, the rise in cyber attacks won’t end.
The best way to stay alert to these threats is by staying informed and protected.
We have collated a list of cyber security predictions for 2021 below.
The healthcare sector will continue to suffer
The healthcare sector has been a target for a long time.
The sector was hit hard during the 2017 WannaCry attack. The ransomware attackers caused ambulances to be diverted, vital equipment such as MRI scanners and X-ray machines to be taken offline, and the cancellation of at least 6900 NHS appointments, including operations.
The main fear among NHS professionals is that another cyber attack during the coronavirus pandemic would cause similar widespread disruption. This is not a situation the NHS can afford in its current fragile state.
It is likely that hackers will continue to target the NHS in 2021. The NCSC revealed last year that more than 160 instances of high-risk and critical vulnerabilities have shared
with NHS Trusts. In the organisation’s annual review it reported:
“Expertise from across the NCSC has been surged to assist the UK’s response to the pandemic. More than 200 of the 723 incidents the NCSC handled this year related to coronavirus and we have deployed experts to support the health sector, including NHS Trusts, through cyber incidents they have faced.”
Homeworking could continue to put businesses at risk
Home working was and is essential to reducing the spread of COVID-19.
Many major companies remain remote as the coronavirus pandemic. Google extended its work-from-home policy to September 2021
Businesses across the world have discovered that home working has benefits for them and a considerable proportion hope to continue working at home either fully or partly after COVID-19. Anecdotal evidence suggests that a return to full-time office working as a norm post COVID is unlikely.
With the UK back in lockdown and new cybersecurity issues arising, ensuring that your business is cyber secure should be a priority for you business. Read our top tips for homeworking here.
Growth of cyber breach costs will outpace the growth of the global economy
According to Security magazine the growth of cyber breach costs will outpace the growth of the global economy in 2021. The security experts have said:
“The economy took an absolute major hit, sending the U.S. into a recession in February of this year. In 2021, the global economy will slow to single-digit growth, as countries minimize activity in order to slow the spread of COVID-19. Meanwhile, as remote work and insecure data practices persist, cyber breach costs are slated to hit double-digit growth across all industries. Unless corporations, government agencies and nation states figure out how to mitigate these cyber risks the global community will suffer catastrophic economic losses that will take years to rectify.”
Freshen up your cyber security strategy
If your business is preparing for 2021, make it your New Year’s resolution to get Cyber Essentials certified.
A cyber attack can be incredibly damaging to your reputation. If you want to secure your strategy and protect your business, Cyber Essentials is a Government-backed and industry-supported scheme that helps businesses protect themselves against the growing threat of cyber attacks.
The key controls that we recommend enable organisations to showcase their credentials as trustworthy and secure when it comes to cyber security.
Find out more about the certification process.