Earlier this year, we took a dive into the world of Web Development and predicted what trends we feel will become more prominent during the second half of 2020 (and beyond). A couple of months have passed and now it’s time for us to tackle another topic… Cyber Security!
A Cyber Security Technician’s primary role is to protect their organisation from any sort of cyber threat. Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the past decade, you will at least have some idea about how Cyber Security is of considerable importance - now more so than ever.
And with cyber attacks becoming far too common - to the point it barely reaches the news unless it affects tens of millions - it’s imperative that the production line of new Cyber Security workers continues to grow not only in numbers, but also in knowledge and method.
With that being said, let’s take a look at what trends we feel will start to crop up during the next months and years:
Cyber Security Skills Gap
Recent research carried out by the government (in particular, Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport) showed that almost two-thirds of UK-based cyber security firms have had skillgap issues, with 25% claiming that it has actually affected their ability to achieve objectives.
What’s more is that around 650,000 businesses in the UK admit to having a basic skills gap - this means that they feel they will struggle to even complete the simple tasks by the Cyber Essentials Scheme.
It’s clear to see that demand currently exceeds supply, but with more cyber attacks happening year-on-year and the prospect of a high earning potential, we predict that the skills gap will begin to close with more budding IT professionals choosing the Cyber Security route.
Spear Phishing
Phishing, deemed by many to be the biggest cyber threat out there (especially to small businesses), is now more prevalent than ever. People and businesses are being scammed by phishing attacks posing as large, well-known brands as a front.
For those unsure, the difference between phishing and spear phishing is simple: spear phishing targets specific people as the hackers are after a particular thing, whereas phishing is more generic and thousands of people could receive the same attack. In fact, almost 90% of organisations globally experienced spear phishing over 2019.
We all know the chances of us acting on an urgent, important message about our accounts from say, Microsoft, Amazon or eBay, is a lot higher than from a smaller, lesser-known brand - particularly when there is an incredibly higher chance of us having an account with the bigger players!
What’s concerning is the unrivalled access to people’s data in modern society - just a quick search on a person’s social media and you could probably find evidence of a smaller brand they use. Over the next 12 months, we can expect to see more regular, targeted and sophisticated spear phishing attacks.
Attacks from the Inside
According to a report by Verizon, only 70% of cyber attacks so far in 2020 have been caused externally… meaning almost one in three cyber attacks are caused by an insider. Scary, right?
Now, before you worry yourself to the point of firing all your staff or glare too much at your colleagues, a breach caused internally doesn’t necessarily mean a cyber attack led by an insider. It purely means it was caused internally - an accidental data leak being one of the most likely which, let’s face it, is probably just as scary?
Although GDPR is a regulation that is now taken very seriously with hefty fines and even the prospect of a jail sentence, we fear this ‘trend’ could be one to watch out for.
Staying safe online is integral to both businesses’ and people’s security and is something that must be taken with utmost caution. As stated above, there is indeed a skills gap in Cyber Security and the next generation of the Protectors of the Web will be one with an interesting battle in their hands.
Do the latest trends in Cyber Security interest you? Fancy yourself as a future web developer? Well, gaining a job in this field may not be as far afield as you think. At The Training Room, our Cyber Security qualification will equip you with the certifications that most employers look for, and we’ll even set you up with interviews with our industry-leading corporate partners!