Cybersecurity threats continue to plague organizations, multiplying like Mogwai in the 1984 hit movie “Gremlins” (just don’t feed them after midnight). Forrester data shows that almost three-quarters of organizations reported one or more data breaches in the past 12 months.

Forrester’s recently published report, Top Cybersecurity Threats In 2023, examines five cybersecurity threats — established and emerging — and gives recommendations for defending against each.

Old Attacks Are Still In Vogue

Whether it is a more aggressive strain of ransomware or threat actors using the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank to drive their social engineering attacks, new spins on old-style attacks make them never go out of style. In our latest report, Top Cybersecurity Threats in 2023, we delve into these two established threats:

  1. Ransomware. Ransomware is not going away, and critical infrastructure is a prime target. Ransomware has evolved beyond just paying a ransom to decrypt files to threat actors doubly extorting victims, demanding additional money to prevent the disclosure of the data that they stole in addition to the ransom to decrypt files.
  2. BEC social engineering. The financial losses from BEC (business email compromise) continue to mount. Advances in email security technology recognize and stop obvious BEC social engineering attempts, but technology alone is insufficient. Recent efforts to address the human element in security have either been dismissed or limited to compliance-driven, outdated, and confusing security awareness and training programs.

Emerging Cybersecurity Threats Are Tomorrow’s Biggest Trends

Tomorrow’s threats quickly become today’s threats. Security and risk professionals are caught in a tug-of-war between responding to established threats and protecting their organization from emerging threats. In the report, we describe three emerging cybersecurity threats:

  1. AI deployments. The capabilities of artificial intelligence applications such as ChatGPT are sparking concern over poisoning of data to intentionally alter the outcomes of algorithms to undermine AI reliability and performance.
  2. Cloud computing. As more workloads are moved to the cloud, misconfigurations due to complexity coupled with ineffective security controls will lead to more data compromises.
  3. Geopolitics. The Russia-Ukraine conflict shows little sign of abating, and organizations must plan for more geopolitical turmoil to follow.

To manage risk, you must understand the cyber threat landscape. Read this report to understand, prioritize, and address these top five cybersecurity threats that Forrester expects organizations will face in 2023.

Forrester clients who want to learn more about this research and how they can compare can schedule an inquiry or guidance session with Brian or Allie.