More frequent and elevated attacks become Cybersecurity’s new normal in the US

In the US, The Washington Post shares a daily concept under journalist Joseph Marks called ‘The Cybersecurity 202’. The subcategory of the magazine explores the future of cybersecurity in the US and updates readers of news in relation to this field. A post published on June 7th was titled ‘elevated cyber threats are the new normal’. It came off the heels of top cyber officials from the Biden administration warning both companies and individuals in the U.S that aggressive and sophisticated cyberattacks are becoming more frequent. Just a year ago, ‘new normal’ was a term that traveled like wildfire across news outlets to document a change to our post pandemic lives. Now it is a term being used to summarise a significant shift in messaging from Biden’s administration.

In a poll that interviewed a group of cybersecurity experts, The Washington Post learned that during the last five years, the US government and relevant industries have taken steps to supercharge their efforts to be able to effectively defend themselves from devastating cyberattacks. This would seem positive, yet cyber criminals have also spent the last five years investing in the performance of cyberattacks and by consequence, have become much more sophisticated and more dangerous than ever before.

Within the last year, cybersecurity concerns have skyrocketed due to ransomware attacks targeting US businesses, governments and schools. This has been combined with the threat of cyber aggression from Russia in relation to the war in Ukraine. Since February 2022, the state of the US’s security in terms of cyberspace has only seemed to have become bleaker and the nation remains on high alert. The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) issued a warning that the threat of such attacks will not be slowing down anytime soon. For the foreseeable future, the new normal in the US is to be ready to respond to increased threats of cyber attacks in today’s climate.

Yet, cybersecurity experts within the CISA have been warning of the danger of potential “vigilance fatigue” and to be in a “maximum alert posture” is not a sustainable solution for a long period of time. In today’s climate of cyber crises,  firms must have a sophisticated solution in place to protect themselves and to work alongside experts to minimise vigilance fatigue. When it comes to operating in cybersecurity’s new normal, there is a great difference between getting work done and getting it done securely.

Investing in a cybersecurity solution should include a Managed Detection & Response programme so businesses can view all their IT architecture in a 360 degree format and be able to quickly and safely respond in the event of an attack. Yet, when it comes to cybersecurity, there is no such thing as a one-size-fits-all approach. Every organisation needs its own bespoke solution to keep up with today’s challenges within the cybersecurity space. At RFA, we work alongside our clients to provide a tailored cybersecurity solution so they can optimally continue their business whilst having the infrastructure in place to protect themselves.  Whilst each firm is different, the threat of cybercrime remains rife. To operate in the new normal is to fully invest in your cybersecurity.