Cyber Security Risks in 2019

Ebay. Yahoo. Equifax. Sony. Each of these companies serves millions of consumers and each of these companies was the victim of a serious data security breach. Sadly, data breaches are not rare occurrences and companies, both large and small, need to be mindful of cyber security policies and procedures. In this coming year, many cyber security experts are predicting data breaches to continue to rise. The following information explains the top cyber security threats you could face in 2019.

Malicious Chat Bots

The chat bot market continues to rise with Grand View Research estimating the market will reach $1.24B by 2025. As more businesses continue to invest in and release chat bots (often serving a customer service role for the organisations), vulnerabilities are sure to increase. WatchGuard Technologies’ Chief Technology Officer warns that cyber criminals and black hat hackers will engineer malicious bots that will lure victims into giving up sensitive information on their own or downloading links and files that lead to breaches.

Developer Errors

With the proliferation of new tools meant to combat and protect data security, and the sheer amount of data pools developers are working with, vulnerabilities may be created inadvertently simply by virtue of human error. This makes workflow processes and oversight extremely important in the coming months. Whether you are developing security measures or you are vetting different security solutions and apps, ensure that you check and double check configurations. Rather than commit to a solution wholesale, implement and test solutions iteratively over time and look closely for errors.

Shifting Toward Privacy First

Legislation like the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) will continue to be considered by governmental authorities and while these complex regulatory schemes take time to implement, businesses are facing increased pressure from both authorities and consumers to shift more toward a “privacy first” mentality. While the intention is generally good, the actual implementation of privacy first protection policies and procedures is difficult, as current infrastructures are not yet built to support this shift without challenges.

Moving Beyond Network Security

Traditional network security measures, such as firewalls, will continue to act as a first line of defence, but as devices continue to become more individualised and as cloud-based infrastructures continue to increase, security measures need to shift beyond traditional measures and focus instead on more individualised approaches.

Cyber security threats will continue to be important and top-of-mind issues for business leaders in 2019 and the years that follow. As you evaluate your own vulnerabilities, remember to keep the unique aspects of your business and your consumers in mind. Security measures should be tailored especially for them in accordance with best practices and be wary of the information you have out there on the Internet. Even a simple response to a chat bot asking for your phone number could leave you open to a security attack.