User education, cloud security and XDR are critical for Oman’s cybersecurity in 2021

User education, cloud security and XDR are critical for Oman’s cybersecurity in 2021

Cloud security vendor Trend Micro Incorporated, predicts that Oman’s home networks, remote working software and cloud systems will be at the centre of a new wave of attacks in 2021.

Trend Micro’s predictions report, ‘Turning the Tide’ forecasts that cybercriminals in 2021 will particularly look to home networks as a critical launch pad to compromising corporate IT and IoT networks.

“As Oman begins to enter a post-pandemic world, the trend for remote and hybrid working is likely going to continue for many organisations,” said Assad Arabi, Managing Director – Gulf Cluster, Trend Micro. “In 2021, we predict that cyber criminals will launch more aggressive attacks to target corporate data and networks in Oman.”

Showing the breadth of cyberattacks, during the first half of 2020, Oman experienced a combined 2,599,031 email, URL, and malware cyberthreats detected by Trend Micro, according to Trend Micro’s Midyear Security Report.

“In 2021, Oman’s security teams will need to double down on user training, extended detection and response and adaptive access controls,” he added. “This past year, many of Oman’s organisations were focused on surviving: now it’s time for Oman’s organisations to thrive, with comprehensive cloud security as their foundation.”

The report warns that end-users who regularly access sensitive data (e.g. HR professionals accessing employee data, sales managers working with sensitive customer information, or senior executives managing confidential company numbers) will be at greatest risk. Attacks will likely exploit known vulnerabilities in online collaboration and productivity software soon after they are disclosed, rather than zero-days.

Access- As-a-Service business models of cybercrime will grow, targeting the home networks of high-value employees, corporate IT and IoT networks. IT security teams will need to overhaul work from home policies and protections to tackle the complexity of hybrid environments – where work and personal data comingle in a single machine. According to Trend Micro, zero-trust approaches will increasingly be favoured to empower and secure distributed workforces.

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