67% of small and micro businesses have experienced a cyber attack, while 58% have experienced a data breach within the last 12 months, according to a study conducted by the Ponemon Institute. Cybersecurity has become one of the major questions that plague the 21st century, with numerous businesses reporting significant losses resulting from loss of private customer data, denial of service (DoS) attacks that cripple operations and internal employee threats that pose a growing data security challenge for both small and large companies. When you consider the effects of the cyber attack in Alaska and the astounding number of businesses it crippled, it's clear that businesses owners need to understand the threats they face today.
The Question of Cybersecurity
A few decades ago, the thought of cyber warfare would have seemed far-fetched to say the least. But today, it has become as likely as it is terrifying, especially when you consider how many of our gadgets are connected to the internet - mobile phones, smart TVs, PCs, and IoT devices. The technical advancements in data-hacking have led to the parallel development of data-protection. While downloading an antivirus software may previously have been sufficient protection, this is now only a preliminary measure, and must be coupled with stronger controls like 2-factor authentication, access control, and raising threat awareness. The cyber-security industry grows steadily each day, and it is now possible to find adequate protection for all your gadgets: from your phone to your tablet and yes, even your new television set.
Artificial Intelligence Shaping Cybersecurity
If you have a basic interest in the tech world, you will have undoubtedly come across Sophia. Sophia is a humanoid robot and may be termed by many as the perfect illustration of how far AI has come. It is for this reason that AI is leading the cybersecurity field. This is through the application of the concept of synthesizing data. Basically, what this means is that two independent chunks of information can be combined to arrive at a single conclusion. In layman's terms, AI is expected to improve cybersecurity by speeding up incident response when malicious activity is detected, thwarting ransomware and automating practices. This way, companies will be able to remain a step ahead of potential cyber threats.
The Future of Cybersecurity Innovation
Conventionally, data transfer has been achieved through electrical signals. However, this may change if we enter the era of data exchange through light signals. This works through the use of photons as carriers of quantum information in cyberspace. Photons are light particles which are generated simultaneously in pairs. With timing controls, this would mean that data transfer would only be possible if twin-photon particles existed for the sender and recipient. Ultimately, the only way to hack the data would be to upend the laws of physics. More innovations like deep learning, cloud technology, and hardware will revolutionalize the future of cybersecurity, making it easier for companies to prevent cyber attacks.
The field of cybersecurity is shifting and improving daily to match the changing needs of today’s cyberspace. It is essential that everyone, including businesses, become familiar with the means with which to protect their data. Understanding the changing face of cybersecurity is a key step to achieving that goal.
