2024 Threat Predictions: – Increased use of AI – More sophisticated cyberattacks – Increased data breaches – Increased ransomware attacks – Increased supply chain attacks

With the surge in Cybercrime-as-a-Service (CaaS) and the influence of generative AI, threat actors have unprecedented tools for sophisticated attacks.
– APT groups are expected to increase, and cybercrime groups diversifying targets, focusing on more disruptive attacks, denial of service, and extortion.
– Cybercrime “turf wars” persist, with multiple groups targeting the same victims, and deploying ransomware variants within hours.
– Generative AI is further enhancing attacks, enabling cybercriminals to use AI for social engineering evasion and human behavior mimicry.
– Ransomware attacks will adopt a “go big or go home” approach, targeting critical industries like healthcare, finance, transportation, and utilities for more substantial impact and rewards.
– Attackers will expand playbooks, making attacks more personal, aggressive, and destructive.
– Expect the emergence of zero-day brokers in the Cybercrime-as-a-Service (CaaS) community, selling zero-days on the dark web to multiple buyers, posing significant risks.
– Enhanced external security controls prompt attackers to focus on recruiting insiders for initial access.
– Tactics, reconnaissance, and weaponization will shift left, with attackers leveraging inside knowledge for more effective infiltrations.
– Cybercriminals will exploit geopolitical events and opportunities like elections and major games, utilizing generative AI for support.
– The focus will be on event-driven attacks with AI-enabled tactics.
– Attackers will diversify tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs), but defenders can disrupt activities by closely examining regular TTPs and identifying potential choke points.
– With an increasing array of connected technologies, cybercriminals will exploit 5G vulnerabilities to disrupt critical industries such as oil and gas, transportation, public safety, finance, and healthcare.
– Collaboration, incident reporting, cyber resilience, skill gap solutions, and threat sharing are vital to anticipate and thwart cybercrime activities.

Link to the original story: https://www.itnewsafrica.com/2023/11/what-are-some-of-2024-threat-predictions/