2020 is undoubtedly the year we’ve all spent more time online than ever before with almost every business, workplace, service and education institution shifting to online. What started as a year of digital disruption with the major Travelex hacking breach has continued with many more organisations experiencing individual breaches with workers shifting to remote operations with little to no time to prepare. Now many organisations are saying they’re unlikely to resume normal office working conditions before 2021 therefore maintaining security is a mandatory and extreme challenge. Forbes goes so far as to say of remote work, “The implication for cybersecurity is that this is not just a temporary storm to be weathered, but a long-lasting shift that needs permanent adaptation.”

What Can We Do To Stay Safe Online?

To explore this topic in more depth, Irish Telecom  developed this infographic ‘Cybersecurity Trends to Know in 2020’ so you can prioritise online safety. In addition to expanding on these topics, it includes relevant statistics and much more. Keep learning and increase your cyber literacy with this overview of trends plus the full graphic.

2020’s Major Cybersecurity Trends We Need To Know

Data Protection Regulation Goes Global

In recent years, many countries and regions have scrambled to develop and implement laws that emphasize as well as protect civic privacy on a data level. With the European Union’s General Data Privacy Act One proving to be a global force in this regard, it’s looking likely that any governments who haven’t already enforced this kind of legislation will follow the lead of the EU.

Mainstream Use of Artificial Intelligence & Machine Learning Security Solutions

This use of AI is much less to do with robots and everything to do with the algorithmic heft of software that’s designed to pre-empt as well as automatically resolve security breaches. It’s expected that as this tech becomes more refined and cyber-threats increase this will be a key feature of security systems.

Securing The Cloud

Seemingly overnight, nearly every employee and student around the world began operating from the cloud — in fact, at least one form of cloud storage is probably running on your device right now. To protect your digital filing system, make sure that you have strong security precautions in place just like you do with your valuable items at home.

Security for the “Internet of Things” Age

A key purchase for so many people in the last few years is a Smart Device whether it’s an Amazon Echo, Google Home or Apple’s Home Kit. While these devices are fun and efficient, how much do you know about the security aspect? Consider the end-to-end loopholes of these devices especially if they’re connected through your home network.

The Future Of Next-Gen Authentication Technology

Poor password hygiene is measurably one of the leading risk areas for everyday users with one study of IT administrators reporting that approximately 46% admitted to using personal passwords for corporate accounts. To overcome both weak spots, it’s likely that next-generation authentication will expand on two-factor temporary codes and possibly even user biometrics. Consider looking at these or at the very least, you need to set a regular update requirement for all of your passwords.