TOP THREE CYBERSECURITY TRENDS FOR 2022-23: For October’s Cybersecurity Month, Matrix Integration Experts Advise on Top Threats

As cyberattacks continue to plague businesses worldwide, Matrix Integration, a strategic IT infrastructure partner for more than 1,000 businesses and schools in the Midwest and beyond, has identified three major trends that can not only help prevent breaches, but can save their clients millions of dollars.

“From industrial manufacturers to smaller service-based businesses, we see some common threads that could help all of our clients better manage their cybersecurity,” said Tim Pritchett, security expert and engineer operations manager at Matrix Integration. “For this year’s Cybersecurity Month, it’s crucial to remember that if you haven’t been hacked yet, it’s only a matter of time before you will be. You need to be ready.”

Being aware of these three major cybersecurity trends is the first step to help business leaders harden their defenses against cyberattacks.

1. Holiday Hacking. Pritchett and the Matrix team see an uptick in hacking attempts during holidays and long weekends, a trend that’s been confirmed by the FBI and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA).1 “During the holidays people’s guards are down,” said Pritchett. “A simple ‘out-of-office’ auto-reply can alert bad actors that it’s a good time to break into a system.”
2. Insurance Interruptions. Cybersecurity insurance is a necessary business expense today, but is becoming more difficult to obtain. Insurance issuers want proof that their clients have adequate cybersecurity in place, so Pritchett and his team often see businesses scrambling to get protections in place to meet insurance company deadlines. “Make sure you know when your policies are coming up for review,” said Pritchett. “They will audit you, and you need to be ahead of the curve to avoid being dropped from your insurance carrier.”
3. Passé Password Control. Most computer users know that simple passwords are easily hacked. But more than passwords, companies need sophisticated access and authentication technology to keep the most sensitive information safe. “Role-based access control and multifactor identification and authentication needs to be standard to make sure only the right people are accessing the right information in your network,” said Pritchett.

Proactive Cybersecurity
Depending on the type and size of business, companies can take a number of steps to better secure themselves against cyberattacks. Smaller businesses may want to outsource cybersecurity altogether, an arrangement that can provide 24-7 protection at a reasonable monthly cost. Other businesses may need a more sophisticated review and series of upgrades. But all businesses still need to implement employee outreach and remediation plans. Cybercriminals still rely on the human element to steal credentials and capture data. According to the 2022 Verizon Data Breach Investigations Report,2 82 percent of breaches in 2021 involved employees falling for phishing scams through email or social media.
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Regardless of what companies do, continuing to strengthen defenses against hackers is always a good policy. “These are the basics. By implementing them, you will be better off than you were yesterday,” continued Pritchett.
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For more information on cybersecurity and solutions including MiProtection, people can visit matrixintegration.com. ​