As we mark the end of cybersecurity awareness month, let's take a look at some of the cybersecurity trends we will see on the rise in 2024:

1. AI and Machine Learning in Security: The use of AI and machine learning for both defensive and offensive cybersecurity measures is likely to continue to evolve. AI-driven attacks and defenses will likely become more sophisticated.

2. Zero Trust Architecture: The adoption of a zero-trust security model is expected to increase, where no entity, internal or external, is trusted by default. This concept of continuously authenticating adds a thicker layer of security.

As cybersecurity prevention tactics continue to evolve and adapt to current trends, we've seen new terms thrown into the mix in conversation such as Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) and Extended Detection and Response (XDR). In IBM's 2022 Cost of a Data Breach Report, analysis on XDR trends were covered for the first time, highlighting the trend towards modernized cyber security solutions. It noted that out of all the organizations that were interviewed as part of the developmental phase of the report, 44% said they were actively using XDR technology and that they were able to contain a breach almost an entire month quicker than if they had not implemented XDR.

So, while we know that EDR and XDR are both methodologies that help combat cyber threats at an organizational level, there are some key differences between the two:

“If security were all that mattered, computers would never be turned on, let alone hooked into a network with literally millions of potential intruders.” - Dan Farmer, Cyber Security Analyst, Researcher, Programmer

Cyber threats are an inevitable risk constantly within our orbit in various forms and degrees of sophistication. Organizations of all sizes are prone to an attack at some point - but the severity of the attack and the time it takes to recover from one, all starts from within: Organizational policy review, revision, and enforcement.

2020 brought unprecedented global changes and cyber security was no exception. From the widescale shift to remote working triggered by the pandemic, to the record-high cryptocurrency prices, to one of the worst cyber attacks of all time. The tools and tactics we started with in 2020 are no match for the threat landscape of 2021.

“If you put a key under the mat for the cops, a burglar can find it, too. Criminals are using every technology tool at their disposal to hack into people’s accounts. If they know there’s a key hidden somewhere, they won’t stop until they find it.” Tim Cook

In the game of cat and mouse between data security and bad actors, extended detection and response (XDR) is the latest weapon that organizations can utilize to strengthen their security posture.

XDR is a new approach to threat detection and response, a key element in defending an organization’s infrastructure and data from damage or unauthorized access and misuse. 

Among the many priorities businesses are positioning themselves for in 2021, network and data security remain at the top of the list as 'anywhere operations' becomes more rampant in an era of rapid digital transformation. With the current state of times, external attacks have become more sophisticated with the pandemic being a channel to lure unsuspecting users in. Organizations must make every effort to start the year off right and ensure their networks are protected from modern hacking practices.