2024 Cybersecurity Recap: Key Findings and Future Considerations for Businesses
As 2024 comes to a close, now is the time to determine which security insights gained throughout the year will be most instrumental in developing updated cybersecurity strategies for the year ahead. This year revealed several vital cybersecurity findings and emphasized the importance of taking a proactive approach to your organization’s security.
To help organizations start the process of preparing updated strategies for the upcoming year, SUCCESS has outlined some of the key findings from the world of cybersecurity and provided some critical considerations that will ensure businesses can effectively fortify their defenses for 2025.
1. Rising Threats in Phishing and Social Engineering
Even in 2024, phishing attempts still remained one of the most pervasive and successful cyber threats. Advanced technologies introduce sophisticated ways for attackers to target organizations, allowing them to create highly targeted, personalized messages that appear as legitimate business communications.
Consideration for 2025: Organizations should provide comprehensive education opportunities and invest in advanced email solutions to reduce the risk of a team member falling victim to a phishing attack or other social engineering tactic. Enhanced AI-powered tools can now recognize and block phishing attempts with more precision, so making a conscious decision to upgrade security solutions should be a main priority.
2. The Expanding Attack Service of Remote and Hybrid Work
As remote and hybrid work models continue to thrive, so does the attack service cybercriminals can use to target your organization. Home networks and personal devices remain vulnerable points for many organizations, revealing a need for stronger endpoint security and clear policies for remote workers.
Consideration for 2025: Create or refine your organization’s policies for remote work that include endpoint protection, regular audits, and secure configurations. Additionally, consider exploring options for implementing a Zero Trust infrastructure, where network access is tightly controlled and monitored and continuous authentication, authorization, and validation is required for all users and devices.
3. The Growing Need for a Comprehensive Cybersecurity Framework
SUCCESS has been saying it for years, but it remains true to this day: a cybersecurity framework is critical for guiding and reinforcing your organization’s security posture. Frameworks like NIST and CIS Controls offer structure guidance and help businesses to navigate an increasingly complex threat landscape. Many organizations are moving toward frameworks that balance comprehensive security with the flexibility to adapt to and protect against unique threats.
Consideration for 2025: Identify which cybersecurity framework best aligns with your organization’s needs, whether that be NIST, CIS Controls, or another. Developing a framework-aligned security strategy for 2025 can help ensure your organization stays protected and operational in the face of evolving threats.
4. Increased Focus on Ransomware Defense
Ransomware continues to be a top concern, as the frequency and sophistication of attacks continued to increase in 2024. While larger companies are often considered to be the primary targets of ransomware attacks, this year also saw a shift in who was targeted. More attacks were aimed at smaller companies and organizations in industries such as healthcare, financial services, and telecommunications due to perceived vulnerabilities in their defenses and the high-value client information they hold.
Consideration for 2025: Assess your backup disaster and recovery (BDR) solutions to ensure they’re effective at responding to threats by testing them regularly. Additionally, consider investing in advanced ransomware protection tools and technology disaster recovery and incident response plans, and conduct tabletop exercises that simulate an attack scenario in order to feel better prepared in the event of an incident.
Read also: Ransomware Strikes: Protecting Your Organization from Cyber Extortion – SUCCESS Computer Consulting
Prepare For and Protect Against Threats in 2025
If 2024 has revealed anything, it’s that cyber threats are becoming increasingly prevalent, and they’re evolving to become more sophisticated and dangerous than ever. Organizations should start implementing enhanced security measures now to ensure they’re prepared for the upcoming year. If you’re ready to jump right into 2025 with a more secure IT infrastructure, the team of experts at SUCCESS can help you identify your organization’s unique cybersecurity needs and work with you to develop a customized roadmap. Contact us today to get started.