In an era where technology advances at an unprecedented pace, the battleground for cybersecurity is continuously evolving. The Google Cloud Cybersecurity Forecast 2024 report offers a comprehensive look into the future of digital security, presenting insights from key leaders and experts across various security domains. The report delves into emerging trends, potential threats, and the strategies that both cyber attackers and defenders are likely to employ in the coming year.
The Rise of AI in Cyber Attacks
One of the most notable predictions in the report is the increasing use of Generative AI (gen AI) and Large Language Models (LLMs) in cyber-attacks. These technologies will be harnessed to enhance the sophistication of phishing, SMS, and social engineering operations. By generating convincing content, including text, voice, and video, attackers aim to make their campaigns more difficult to detect. The report highlights the potential for AI-generated content to appear authentic, undermining traditional indicators like misspellings and grammar errors.
Attackers leveraging gen AI can scale their operations, targeting individuals with personalised and convincing messages. This scalability extends to the creation of fake news, phone calls, and deepfake media, potentially influencing mainstream narratives and eroding public trust in information sources.
Dual-Edged Sword: AI for Defence
While AI technologies pose challenges for cybersecurity, defenders are also leveraging these tools to enhance detection, response, and attribution capabilities. The report suggests that AI will play a crucial role in synthesising large volumes of data, providing actionable insights, and enabling organisations to act swiftly and effectively against emerging threats.
The Underground Marketplace for AI Tools
A concerning trend highlighted in the report is the development and offering of LLMs and gen AI tools as services in underground forums. These tools, once the exclusive domain of advanced threat actors, may become more accessible to a broader range of attackers, potentially escalating the sophistication of cyber-attacks across the board.
The Big Four Cyber Threat Actors
The report delves into the specific cyber threat landscapes associated with China, Russia, North Korea, and Iran. Notably, China's focus on internal stability and territorial integrity, Russia's continued cyber activities related to Ukraine, North Korea's emphasis on financially motivated operations, and Iran's geopolitical ambitions are explored as key drivers of cyber threat activities.
Global Forecasts: A Glimpse into 2024
The report predicts several trends that will shape the global cybersecurity landscape in 2024:
Continued Use of Zero-Day Vulnerabilities: The prevalence of zero-day vulnerabilities, especially in edge devices, is expected to persist, driven by the desire for persistent access and evasion of traditional detection methods.
Cyber Activity Targeting U.S. Elections: With the United States entering a presidential election year, the report anticipates increased cyber activity, including espionage and influence operations targeting electoral systems.
Rise of Disruptive Hacktivism: The resurgence of hacktivist activity observed in recent years is expected to continue, potentially extending to the use of cyber-attacks to achieve kinetic damage.
Wipers as Standard Capabilities: Destructive wiper malware, witnessed in the context of the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, is predicted to become a standard capability in the cyber arsenals of various nation-states.
Targeting Space-Based Infrastructure: The report foresees sophisticated cyber actors targeting space-based technologies and associated infrastructure during conflicts, exploiting dependencies on such technologies.
Maturation of Attacks on Hybrid and Multicloud Environments: Threat actors are predicted to evolve their techniques, exploiting misconfigurations and identity issues to move laterally across different cloud environments.
Increased Use of Serverless Services: Cybercriminals and nation-state actors are expected to leverage serverless technologies for their scalability, flexibility, and automated deployment capabilities.
Continued Growth in Extortion Operations: Extortion operations are anticipated to remain a significant threat, impacting enterprises and societies worldwide.
Espionage and Sleeper Botnets: Cyber espionage operations are predicted to scale by creating "sleeper botnets" from vulnerable devices, complicating efforts to track and attribute malicious activity.
Revival of Ancient Techniques: Attackers may revive ancient techniques to evade detection, as observed in the resurrection of older methods not widely covered in recent years.
Shift to Modern Programming Languages: Malware authors are expected to continue using modern programming languages like Go, Rust, and Swift to develop sophisticated and evasive malware.
Targeting Developers in Supply Chain Attacks: Threat actors may increasingly target software developers through supply chain attacks, exploiting vulnerabilities in software package managers.
Rise of Mobile Cyber Crime: Cybercriminals are predicted to employ novel social engineering tactics to trick mobile device users into installing malicious applications.
Steady Cyber Insurance Premiums: The report suggests a softening trend in the cyber insurance market, with increased competition potentially providing relief to rising premiums.
Consolidation Around SecOps: Security Operations (SecOps) solutions are expected to witness more consolidation as customers demand integrated risk and threat intelligence in their security operations.
JAPAC Forecasts: A Regional Outlook
The report provides specific forecasts for the JAPAC (Japan and Asia-Pacific) region, anticipating cyber activity around elections and the continuation of "Pig Butchering" scams. Additionally, it points out the shifting tactics, techniques, and procedures in the region, emphasising the need for heightened vigilance among defenders.
Conclusion: Navigating the Unknown
As the cybersecurity landscape continues to evolve, the Google Cloud Cybersecurity Forecast 2024 serves as a valuable guide for security professionals. While new technologies introduce both challenges and opportunities, the report underscores the importance of preparedness and vigilance. In the face of emerging threats and uncertainties, defenders, armed with insights from the frontlines, can better navigate the complexities of cybersecurity in the year ahead.
https://cloud.google.com/resources/security/cybersecurity-forecast
