After navigating a year marked by rapid technological progress and high-profile cyber incidents, cybersecurity professionals are gearing up to foresee the challenges and opportunities awaiting them in 2024.
Reflecting on the past 12 months, it’s evident that artificial intelligence (AI) remains a central theme, exerting its influence on various facets of work and continuing to present novel cybersecurity challenges. Here are four key predictions for the cybersecurity landscape in 2024:
Government Regulation to Transform Cybersecurity:
As the adoption of AI outpaces official regulatory frameworks, 2024 is expected to witness a transformation in the cybersecurity industry driven by government regulations.
With global cybersecurity guidelines evolving, initiatives like CISA’s Secure-By-Design and Default principles in the United States, and discussions in the Australian government, it is inevitable that regulations governing AI usage will be introduced.
This regulatory focus is likely to address concerns surrounding the contextual security awareness of AI tools, especially in coding, where a lack thereof raises significant security issues.
AI Coding Tools to Increase Demand for Developers:
Contrary to speculation about job losses due to AI, there is no collective risk to software development jobs. While AI/ML coding tools represent a powerful assistive technology for developers, they are not flawless.
A Stanford University study highlights the potential dangers posed by unskilled developers using AI tools, indicating an increased likelihood of introducing security vulnerabilities.
This underscores the need for more skilled developers who can leverage AI technology safely and code securely, countering the misconception that AI might reduce the demand for human developers.
Accountability for Insecure Code:
The trend of software vendors passing on security responsibility to consumers is set to change. There will be an increasing expectation for vendors to prioritize and ensure the security of their products at the code level.
Large-scale cyberattacks, such as those on Colonial Pipeline, SolarWinds, and the recent MOVEit data breach, have heightened awareness, making it imperative for vendors to face greater scrutiny and repercussions for insecure code. This shift signals a move towards taking code-level security more seriously.
Transition from Reactive to Proactive Security:
Relying solely on a reactive security approach will become untenable in 2024. Organizations need to embrace a more holistic strategy, moving beyond incident response as the primary focus.
The ‘shift left’ approach, emphasizing code-level security, upskilling developers, and ensuring competence in digital infrastructure, will be crucial.
A preventative, high-awareness security program that involves every staff member in sharing responsibility will become a cornerstone for both governments and enterprises.
These predictions collectively underscore the evolving priorities of security teams across industries. Understanding the security implications of AI will empower these teams to navigate the challenges and leverage the benefits of this transformative technology responsibly.
