Cyber Security Attacks to Look Out for in 2023

With the new year approaching, it’s so important to plan the upcoming year, but especially your resilience in the case of any Cyber Security attacks. Cyber Security has never been so important and there has been a recent increase in the amount of attacks and breaches occurring.

Attackers are becoming more sophisticated and direct and have the potential to have major impact on businesses and organisations. Large criminal organisations are becoming increasingly common, and no sized business is safe.

In order to increase your businesses resilience to these attacks, it is essential that you take a look at the current attack trends to see what attacks are increasing in volume and the most up to date methods hackers are using. In this blog we are going to outline some of the Cyber Security attacks you need to be careful of and keep an eye out for in 2023.

Cyber Security Attacks on 5G Devices

5G has been on everyone’s radar for a few years now and it was first rolled out by mobile networks in 2019. More recently, it’s been introduced to more and more people and is providing the lighting-fast internet it claimed to have.

Although, it should be taken into consideration that the infrastructure of 5G is still being built out as it becomes accessible to more and more people. As a result of this, it means this is expected to be a high-attack area.

When new technologies are brought about, the likelihood of code vulnerabilities is much higher, and hackers are looking for any opportunity they can to exploit this. Hackers are willing to take advantage of the 5G hardware that is used for PCs, mobile devices, and routers

One way in which your Suffolk business can prepare for this is to be aware of the firmware security in the devices you buy. Firmware security is making sure that you keep up to date with new versions of software that the manufacturer has released. When you purchase new devices, it’s a good idea to ask about this.

One-time Password Bypass Cyber Security Attack

This new trend attempts to get pass multi-factor authentication. Multi-factor authentication, also referred to as MFA is one of the best forms of account security as it requires a one-time password (such as a code) to be sent to another one of the users’ devices/emails, so even in the case where hackers have your password, there is still potential for you to be protected.

Although – this hasn’t stopped hackers from trying, hackers will do all they can to get passed this, including:

Reusing a token

This is where hackers will gain access to a user’s one time password and then attempt to reuse it.

Sharing Unused Tokens

This is when a hacker will use their own account to get a one-time password and then will attempt to use this password on another account in order to gain access.

Using a Leaked Token

The hacker will use a one-time password that has been leaked by web applications to attempt to gain access.

Using Phishing

A hacker will use phishing to trick a user into resetting their password and then fool them into giving them the one-time password via a text or email.

Using World Events in a Cyber Attack

In the pandemic, a world event that was unpredicted, the amount of Cyber Attacks that occurred increased by roughly 600%. World events and disasters are seen as an ideal opportunity for hackers and often large phishing campaigns are released in response to the world event.

Users are often unsuspecting and may be distracted by these global events and so are more likely to fall for phishing attacks. Especially when hackers use social engineering tactics such as sad photos to play on users’ emotions.

It is essential that your organisation is mindful and know how to spot scams like this, especially when global events are occurring. Cyber training is the best way for you to ensure your staff have up to date knowledge and are educated on how to spot and deal with a phishing attack.

Mobile Cyber Attacks and Phishing

Mobile device usage is only going up and we are all guilty of bringing our mobile phones everywhere with us nowadays. Cyber criminals are more than aware of this connection and are doing everything they can to take advantage of this.

2023 is likely to see an increase in mobile device-based attacks including SMS-based phishing, which is through texting and referred to as ‘smishing’ This is particularly successful approach for hackers as users don’t expect to receive these sorts of messages to their personal numbers. Although, it’s important for us to realise that hackers can buy lists and lists of phone numbers online and then subsequently make fake texts that look like shipping receipts or genuine offers.

It takes one click on a link for an account or data breach.

It’s not just phishing that is targeting mobile devices. In 2022 we’ve seen a rapid increase in the amount of malware targeted towards mobiles, and this is set to continue for 2023. Ensuring you have forms of protection such as a DNS filter and anti-malware is essential to keeping your devices protected.

Phishing with AI and Machine Learning

Using artificial intelligence and machine learning, phishing emails have become much more advanced over the years. They are getting harder and harder to spot.

Emails and phishing attacks are becoming personalised and looking identical to real brand’s emails and a result are continuing to catch people out. These phishing attacks are only set to become more personalised in 2023 with the advances in technology.

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Is it time for your business to have a Cyber Security check up?

The cyber attacks that we are likely to face in 2023 are unpredictable and it is vital that your business does all it can to prepare your resilience. You don’t want to find out the wrong way…

Ipswich based Business IT Support provider offer a range of IT Support, Cyber Security, and IT Consultancy services for businesses in Ipswich, Felixstowe, Stowmarket, and the surrounding Suffolk area. If you want to ensure your business is resilient to potential cyber-attacks, then it is essential you are putting all the right practices in place and ensuring staff receive regular cyber training. To find out more about how we can help your business stay cyber secure, either give us a call on 01473 241515 or email us on info@corbel.co.uk.