Cambridge-based cybersecurity company Darktrace has made five predictions for the future of cybersecurity and AI in 2024. These predictions come after a critical year in AI development. The insights, based on expert analyses and business trends, suggest that the cyber domain will experience significant change and challenges with real-world implications. Darktrace’s experts predict a rise in climate hacktivism, an increase in multilingual AI threats, and the emergence of the first ‘AI worm’.
One of the key predictions focuses on the potential exploitation of elections. With Russia, Ukraine, UK, and US all potentially holding high-stakes elections in the coming year, cyber attacks aimed at manipulating voters are expected to increase. Darktrace warns that AI-generated deepfakes and propaganda could be used to destabilize the vote or amplify one candidate over another. Voters will need to be cautious about the content they consume and the reliability of their sources.
Another prediction highlights the growing multilingual nature of cyber threats. Traditionally, most cyber-enabled social engineering attacks have been carried out in English. However, advances in Generative AI have made it easier for attackers to compose text in foreign languages. Darktrace anticipates that attackers will target languages such as Mandarin, Japanese, Korean, and Hindi, posing a new challenge for businesses in the Asia-Pacific region.
Businesses themselves will also face additional AI dangers. Malicious actors, nation-states, and ransomware groups are expected to leverage the widespread adoption of AI for their own gain. Darktrace warns that 2024 may see the deployment of the first AI worm, combining traditional ransomware with AI-driven automation to create a highly aggressive autonomous agent capable of infiltrating business software.
Darktrace also predicts a rise in climate hacktivism in cyberspace. As climate change campaigners increasingly turn to cyber-attacks, fossil fuel companies could become targets of sophisticated AI-powered disruptions. This marks 2024 as the year of climate ‘hacktivism’.
Lastly, Darktrace highlights the vulnerability of cloud environments for businesses’ cybersecurity. As more data storage and processing shifts to the cloud, cybercriminals are expected to target these platforms. The shortage of expertise and skills in dealing with cloud security poses a significant challenge for businesses.
Toby Lewis, Global Head of Threat Analysis at Darktrace, emphasizes the need for advanced AI-driven cybersecurity solutions. As cybercriminals become more sophisticated, businesses must be equipped with the tools to prevent and protect against attacks. Additionally, the public should be increasingly cautious about their data and the content they consume.
Darktrace, with over 2,200 employees worldwide, protects approximately 8,900 customers globally from advanced cyber threats. The company’s Cyber AI Research Centre in Cambridge has contributed to the cybersecurity community through over 160 filed patents and published research.