As our world becomes more connected, automated, and digital, evolving cybersecurity threats are changing our everyday life. We’ve become reliant on WiFi and bluetooth connections, use passwords for everything, and are already used to using our thumbprint or face to gain access to our own devices.
Home Security
What’s more, our homes have become “smart,” too. From Alexa and Siri to video doorbells, basic day-to-day activities are now ruled by the Internet of Things (IoT). This promises to only increase as our lives become more automated and convenient. Strong home cybersecurity will soon become just as important as a locked door, as more and more of us feel the painful consequences of ignoring personal cyber safety.
Devices
“Connected personal devices can be great: smart watches, TV’s, refrigerators, toys, share data and speak to each other to make our lives more efficient, and even fun. But if valuable personal data can be compromised, or is shared without sufficient protection, the devices can be shut down, and consumers are faced with inconvenience and big breaches in privacy. Experts predict that the 23 billion IoT devices installed in 2018 are predicted to reach 75 billion by 2025.” Forbes
To combat the rising vulnerabilities across IoT devices and sharing personal data across apps and programs, Apple recently announced new and upgraded privacy settings, including reduced data collection, better app permission oversight, no email tracking, enhanced security, Safari security upgrades, and more.
In the future, enhanced data protections like these will be basic with every device. It will change how marketers can gather information and target audiences, as well as how we trust or engage with information we receive.
Small Business Development
Machine learning and AI have transformed the way many businesses operate and scale. The most notable example is the lightning-speed logistics of an Amazon warehouse, powered by complex machine learning and robotics.
While no one expects a small business to immediately copy the global retail behemoth, neither can they rely on paper files and typewriters. Any growing business worth its salt has to adopt not only the modern tech tools available, but the cybersecurity that goes with it. This can quickly become expensive and overwhelming, but it will soon become as basic for new businesses as creating a website or setting up an LLC. Cybersecurity will balloon to encompass more tools and resources, so new and cheaper options will be available.
Vulnerable Citizens
Senior citizens have long been targets of phone and email scans due to their lack of current tech knowledge and saved assets. Like cyber crime, these scams are always evolving with new tricks to watch out for, like romance, repair, or lottery scams. Like with any social engineering scam, the best defense is education and reaching out to others for help or verification.
Group homes, organizations like AARP, and online senior resources must also prioritize improving cybersecurity protections for their users. For example, family members might soon start asking assisted living facilities what their cybersecurity practices are before choosing to house their older relative there.
Politics and Society
Weaponized misinformation has also been used as a psychological exploit to pit groups against each other, affect politics, ruin reputations, and affect the stock market. This “fake news” can include social media posts or even edited video footage that’s indistinguishable from the real thing.
As the digital future unfolds, the public will need to be much more skeptical of online interactions, information, emails, and requests. Staying abreast of the latest in cyber crime is key to preventing it, and that may result in a “cybersecurity” section of newspapers, magazines, or TV news. Businesses will have heavy responsibilities to maintain cutting-edge cyber protections, both ethically and as regulations develop. Ultimately, cybersecurity is going to become ubiquitous and a fundamental part of our daily interactions.
As a result, cybersecurity is a vital field, with talent shortages, expanding applications, growing demand, and an ever-increasing collection of tools and resources for businesses and individuals. See our post about finding a career in cybersecurity here!
TCecure also offers an array of cybersecurity tools to combat the latest cyber criminals. Stay ahead of the game with with taking CySkills classes to learn the basics!
