In 2023, WatchGuard predicts that hackers will try to bypass your cybersecurity defenses using new techniques focused on business processes, identity, and artificial intelligence. This year, Corey and Marc square-off in a Predictions Challenge, offering different takes on potential hacks and attacks in these categories. Whose predictions will come true…only time will tell!

Cyberattacks consistently hit the headlines throughout the year, and they aren’t expected to slow down any time soon. While the intensity and impact change from one attack to the other, there are always a few that rank the highest in terms of size. We looked at the five biggest cyberattacks of 2022 and how they influenced users around the globe.

Passwords are the most widespread form of authentication on different platforms and systems. Still, companies and users often do not prioritize creating strong passwords and continue to opt for simple and very weak passwords in the eyes of cybercrime professionals.

Adopting robust processes to identify, classify, remediate, and mitigate vulnerabilities before attackers can exploit them is a new imperative in corporate environments. An efficient, proactive cybersecurity strategy must be multi-layered and able to consider challenges from all angles. Although increasing the number of solutions deployed to protect the attack surface may appear to be the answer, the opposite is true.

A rootkit is a malicious software program that helps cybercriminals infiltrate a system and take control. Hackers use rootkits to carry out espionage, data theft, deploy other malware such as ransomware, and all without leaving a trace. Once a rootkit is installed on a device, it can intercept system calls, replace software and processes and be part of a larger exploit kit containing other modules such as keyloggers, data theft malware, or even cryptocurrency mining malware.