The global cybersecurity industry will hire 3.4 million more professionals to neutralize the cybercriminal threat. Given this data, DXC Technology has forecast five scenarios in which digital security will shape daily life for the next five years.
1. The cybersecurity arms race will accelerate
Both cybercriminals and cybersecurity professionals will use artificial intelligence (AI) in an increasingly sophisticated battle of wits, according to DXC Technology. In the case of cybersecurity defense, AI has been used primarily to identify patterns of suspicious behaviour. Due to the volume of suspicious activity and the number of false positives, cybersecurity staff is often overwhelmed.
According to DXC Technology forecasts, the good news is that starting in 2023; we should be able to start automating security controls and AI-based response mechanisms, which would help us react more quickly and accurately to cyberattacks, reducing potential downtime and protecting critical business and personal data.
“However, while AI can automate threat detection and removal, the underlying processes are based on understanding past activity, which will incentivize cybercriminals to dream up new attacks. “Keeping up will be challenging, especially if quantum computing enters the fray, which could see current defenses breached in seconds.”
2. We will have to be careful who we think we are talking to in the metaverse (while keeping a firm grip on our digital wallets)
2023 will be an important year for the metaverse, with Meta, Microsoft, Virbela, and others betting on the generalization of virtual worlds. However, activity in the metaverse can raise legitimacy issues: how do you know if the person you think you’re talking to is who they say they are? “Blockchain-based digital certificates will help secure virtual transactions in the metaverse. What is clear is that as the metaverse expands, so do the risks,” according to Mark Hughes, President of Security.
3. Geopolitical attacks on cybersecurity will increase, but they will also lead to innovation in the defense
Russia’s attack on Ukraine has reminded us, in the starkest way possible, that warfare is now hybrid and that the risks of geo politically motivated cyberattacks are real. As a result, DXC Technology explains that many cyber insurance policies are being updated to exclude acts of cyber warfare, which poses challenges for cyber risk mitigation. With geopolitical tensions continuing, this threat will continue and go beyond 2023. Indeed, with more than 70 countries holding government elections in 2023, cybersecurity defenses will be a difficult year.
4. Cybersecurity attacks will target the critical national infrastructure that powers our homes
When the power or the gas goes out, most people are unlikely to think that it results from an industrial cybersecurity breach. But operational technology (OT) is an emerging battleground for cyberattacks, as the systems that control and automate factories and civilian infrastructure, including power plants and dams, are becoming a target.
5. Career opportunities in cybersecurity will increase
An estimated 3.4 million cybersecurity workers are missing worldwide. This lack of professionals, and even more so with the growing threats, is a number that will continue growing in the next five years. The cybersecurity skills gap creates career opportunities for people of all ages and backgrounds. More and more companies offer the possibility of recycling in cybersecurity.