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Virtual Landscape Threats in 2021 And Beyond

May 28, 2021

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When you hear the term virtual landscape in an IT-related discussion, in essence, what is being mentioned is regarding the cybersecurity landscape. More specifically, this term is usually used in conjunction with cybercrime e.g. to describe the online threat landscape and threat climate. In the world of cybersecurity which is an industry aimed at defending the IT sector and offering internet defense solutions, the presence of cybercrime on the virtual landscape is the central focus. Cybercriminals who orchestrate and conduct cybercrime are now faster, smarter, and cast a wider net on the virtual landscape presenting ever-growing challenges to the cybersecurity sector and governments all over the world. Cybercrime is so prevalent out there today that, it is not a question if an organization will be attacked, but when.

What is cybersecurity?


What is this word then, that is thrown around so much these days on everything from tech blogs to top IT conferences? Well, cybersecurity according to the heads of both insurance giant Allianz and the head of IBM is the number one agenda in the safe keep of the economy. Cybersecurity solutions can range from your friendly home antivirus software to the most complex enterprise firewalls and routers that protect data on connected systems. Cybersecurity is also a job sector in itself, which means that the education and training of employees (cybersecurity engineers, CISOs, etc.) in this regard also falls under the term.

The 2020 Threat Landscape


Last year’s threat landscape analysis, as noted in last year’s press release by the European Union Agency For Cyber Security or ENISA, was filled with potential threats. The mass proliferation of cyber attacks in the past few years, but especially after 2020, has been noted not only by European cybersecurity agencies, but by the equivalent U.S. agency CISA, and institutions like ISACA. As of 2020, the number one threats for the U.S. and EU ranged from APT (Advanced Persistent Threat) to malware. Rising threats included various identity theft scams of which the likes of phishing and spear-phishing were the most common (and the most successful). When it comes to more serious attacks, ransomware and again APT group exploits were and still are by far the scariest and most destructive. Also, it is important to note that 2020 was a year where supply chain attacks grew very popular as cybercrime trends leaned towards exploiting current affairs at the time.

The 2021 Threat Landscape  


Last year was possibly the worst year on record for cybersecurity incidents, especially for attacks aimed at toppling national security and exfiltrating data from high-profile cybersecurity firms. Now, with the digital transformation taking wind all over the world and work-from-home models fully in play, cybercrime continues to thrive, disrupt and pillage. In 2021, cybersecurity firms and government intelligence agencies are more prepared for high-profile attacks after being awoken last year, however other forms of incidents are bound to happen. Just recently, there was even a cyber attack on a U.S. gas pipeline which is a tell-tale sign of what may come if organizations and nations are not prepared. Phishing scams remain the most popular way for cybercriminals to steal credentials and exploit vulnerable people. On the other hand, ransomware, document attacks, and business email compromise (BEC) is forecasted to keep plaguing the industry.

How Damaging is Cybercrime?


90% of companies, organizations, or institutions worth their salt today (SMBs or larger businesses) are in a 24/7 relationship with the internet (as are their employees on their personal devices). The most sensitive user data, financial records, health records, even closely guarded confidential government files are usually placed somewhere on cloud storage these days. In 2020, the average cost of a data breach was over $3.5 million globally and close to $10 million in the United States alone. The damage caused by cybercrime has led to downtime, system instability, lost revenue, and worst of all the breach and theft of private customer information or other sensitive data. An enormous amount of customer data containing PII or personally identifiable information (e.g. fiscal codes or social security numbers, credit card numbers, addresses) has been exfiltrated from thousands of organizations by cybercriminals via phishing, ransomware, zero-day exploits, and many other ways. On top of that, cybercriminals use encryption to conduct all of this invisibly. These kinds of incidents not only lead to the loss of reputation of one business but can put an entire network of companies in danger via e.g botnet attacks, worms, RATs, you name it. Due to all of this, the economy is bearing trillions of dollars of damage annually.

What The Industry Needs to do to Halt Cybercrime


Unfortunately, the cybersecurity sector has only just awakened to the reality that cybercrime is the number one global danger at the moment. Due to a wide virtual threat landscape that is constantly changing, not to mention that cybercriminals are learning how to hide their tracks more efficiently by the day, the security industry is sweating profusely to keep up with everything. Any business, organization, or institution (or government for that matter) without a sound cybersecurity strategy will not be able to fight cybercrime effectively without proper policies in place. Furthermore, without automated advanced analytics that utilizes AI and machine learning, and without the proper employee cybersecurity training, cybercrime damages will only keep getting worse. Thankfully, it looks like the business sector is starting to employ more cybersecurity professionals and investing more in cybersecurity solutions. However, for a sound cybersecurity strategy, the following key approaches, technologies, and practices are the tried and tested way forward;

  • The use of managed cybersecurity solutions (MDR, SIEM)

  • The crossover to the hybrid cloud and away from the public cloud

  • Employing Zero-Trust models

  • Employing IAM (Identity And Access Management)

  • Adherence to cybersecurity compliance and regulations like CCPA, GDPR, HIPAA

  • Vulnerability management and monitoring

  • Employee cybersecurity training plus incident scenarios exercises

  • Strict control over access management and permissions

  • Keeping all systems patched and up-to-date


Preparing a cybersecurity strategy and adding the proper solutions for it requires a hefty investment and a good chunk of time while also adding more complexity to the business process. However, it is necessary to take these sacrifices in order to future-proof cybersecurity and avoid any catastrophes.