Mike Sanchez, CISO and SVP of Cybersecurity Solutions at UDT. Courtesy photo Mike Sanchez, CISO and SVP of cybersecurity solutions at UDT. Courtesy photo

In my daily work as a chief information security officer helping business leaders in South Florida and across the country, I recognize that keeping up with the ever-changing and evolving cyber threats is becoming increasingly challenging and stressful for companies. History has proved that what can sometimes be a natural reaction for companies—digging their heads in the sand and hoping the threats disappear—is not a luxury that anyone can continue to afford. The stakes are too high and the consequences are too severe.

UDT's sophisticated threat intelligence insights show that 2024 could be a cyber nightmare across industries. Here are the two primary reasons:

  • Generative AI: Artificial intelligence is a powerful tool with the capacity to do a lot of good, but it can also be easily exploited. Hackers are already using the accelerated adoption of generative AI to create realistic and convincing phishing emails, fake videos and deepfakes that can trick users. AI can also provide specific instructions on how best to bypass security systems and gather stolen information, empowering cybercriminals to automate and scale cyberattacks more efficiently while making them harder to detect.
  • Election Year: Several of the world's most populous countries are hosting elections this year, including the United States. This makes them targets for cyber interference and influence campaigns, as well as phishing and ransomware attacks that can disrupt the voting process and undermine public trust. Cybercriminals will seek to disrupt operations and cause delays, alter information where possible, and corrupt systems. Compromised user accounts will be leveraged to send out misinformation and disinformation, and gain access to other systems tied to voting systems due to weak network segmentation.

While 2024 could be a rough year for cybersecurity, there are actions you can take to prepare and protect your organization. Based on our experience, here are the top five questions that C-suite executives should ask their top security leaders to address: