The Evolution of Cybersecurity Solutions for Businesses

The evolution of cybersecurity has happened quickly and learning about the past can help inform us of the future. What does the past say? Be prepared. 

Read on to learn more about the history of cybersecurity, the modern attacks threatening businesses today, and what can be done to mitigate the risks of the future. 

The Beginning of Cybersecurity 

A long time ago in technology’s past, the first-ever cyberthreats began to rear their heads as the computer began to make their mark. Known as “Creeper,” this program could move across a network and leave traces of it everywhere it went. To counter, Ray Tomlinson created our first glimpse at cybersecurity by designing a program to hunt and delete Creeper, known as Reaper. 

Just like that, the never-ending digital battle between good and evil began. 

A Brief History of the Evolution of Cybersecurity 

As computers became more commercial and more everyday people began to use them, the need for security became more apparent as more viruses and threats surfaced. The next major innovation in cybersecurity came from the first major antivirus software in the US from John McAfee around in 1987. 

These innovations in security came at the perfect time, too, as the ’90s would become known as the “Virus Era” because of the millions of computers that were infected in the decade due to the rise of internet usage.  

During this time, firewalls and antivirus software were the main sources of security that scanned incoming packets for malware and used immunizers—a tool that modified programs to trick viruses into thinking they were already infected—to stop infections from taking place. 

In the 2000s, cybercrime became more prominent as more of the world became more digital. World governments began to recognize and plan to stop cyberattacks and information security became a focus for businesses, people, and governments alike. 

Related: Developing a Cybersecurity Strategy to Protect Your Business

Modern Solutions to Face Modern Threats 

Modern businesses are facing new kinds of threats that are evolving to beat new security systems and technology. To stay protected, businesses must have the latest tech, strategies, and tools. Here’s a look at some of the key elements of a modern cybersecurity strategy: 

• Remote Work Security: More people are working remotely than ever before, meaning that businesses need to take steps to ensure information is secure no matter where it’s being accessed from. 
• Network Monitoring: Attacks can come at any time from many different angles, it’s critical that businesses have a network monitoring service provider to spot threats, react appropriately, and mitigate the risks. 
• Edge Security: Along with remote work comes more devices connecting to the company network. Edge security helps ensure the security of the network even if a device is breached. 
• Backup & Disaster Recovery: With so much data being stored on the cloud, a cyberattack can cripple systems and limit access to important information. Having backups and a recovery plan helps businesses get back up and running quickly. 
• Access Management: Thanks to cloud computing, more people can access data, but to ensure security, businesses need to manage who can access what and from where. 

Related: What is Layered Cybersecurity?

The Future of Cybersecurity Evolution

Future Cyberthreats 

Cyberthreats are always changing as hackers look for new ways to penetrate systems. Here are some trends to watch in cybercrime: 

• Ransomware Threats: Ransomware attacks are growing quickly and costing businesses $75 billion around the world with an average cost of $133,000. Because more sensitive (and valuable) information is being stored on the cloud, experts predict that ransomware attacks will continue to rise. 
• Supply Chain Breaches: In 2021, attacks on the supply chain tripled. Hackers know they can devastate businesses with coordinated, targeted attacks on vulnerable parts of a supply chain and the amounts of money to be made by holding them hostage. Protecting the supply chain is going to be a focus for companies heading into the next few years. 
• Cloud Attacks: Cloud technology brings many new challenges to defend against cyberattacks like encryption, access management, and backup and recovery plans. This paired with the fact that the cloud is growing 56% every year means that this could be cybersecurity’s next big battleground. 

Future Cybersecurity Solutions 

To defend against future threats, businesses will need to implement future solutions. Here are some strategies and tools that could shape the future evolution of cybersecurity: 

• Passwordless Authentication: Businesses are (or should) already be moving away from traditional password use, especially if their current method of password management is just to set one password and never change it. With new kinds of multi-factor authentication available, passwords may become a thing of the past or at least just a small part of a more complex login process.  
• AI and Automation in Cybersecurity: The introduction of artificial intelligence has made cybersecurity smarter, faster, and better at recognizing the telltale signs of an attack by analyzing data and monitoring network use.  
• Managed Cybersecurity Services: With so much to juggle between updating systems, implementing new technology, constant network monitoring, and performing consistent awareness training, businesses are right to feel overwhelmed. Enlisting the help of a managed security service provider (MSSP) like DOT Security can give businesses easy access to teams of specialists dedicated to protecting their data and helping to mitigate the risks of cyberattacks. 

In Conclusion 

Knowing the past helps prepare us for the future and the evolution of cybersecurity’s past tells us to always expect the unexpected and be prepared for anything and everything. How is this possible? By staying on the forefront of security technology so you can always be a step ahead of bad actors. 

Explore the new evolutions of security technology, and how modern cybersecurity is different from traditional IT security, with Impact’s webinar Modern Business Requirements: The Difference Between IT and Cybersecurity Standards.