2020 started with the cyber security industry in a chaotic and turbulent state. 2019 was the year that brought about numerous daily cyber security breaches that varied in type and severity. Undefined by sector, it left the world in a perpetual state of distress.
Technology is getting smarter, becoming increasingly connected and growing rapidly. At the start of 2020, cyber-attacks were increasingly more sophisticated as the rat race to incorporate growth in AI, ML, cloud, mobile and IoT continued without the equivalent investments in relevant security measures, and especially in software security.

In 2019 there were a confirmed 4.07 million unfilled cyber security positions worldwide, up from 2.93 million this time last year, costing an estimated 6 trillion U.S dollars in cybercrime costs; It was clear, that the only way forward in 2020 is with simplified security.

Of course, this was back in the innocent and carefree days before the COVID-19 pandemic. Have things changed? Yes, and seemingly for the world at large, affecting each individual, the world has dramatically changed; overnight. Like society at large, the cybersecurity worlds priorities, strategies and tasks have been turned upside down.

The world is now focused on the systemic threat of COVID-19. As we have seen in the past, cybercriminals around the world are taking advantage of the crisis and exploiting the online changes during this worldwide pandemic. Cyber-criminals are opportunistic, and they will find any way to attack. Cyber-attacks are on expected to rise 40% during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Tapping into a world gripped by fear, cybercriminals launch attacks daily in the form of short- term opportunistic attacks, yet seeds are being sown for long term future attacks by using the current confusion and general lack of focus.
At the start of 2020, cyber security was one of the most prominent issues facing business owners and companies of every size. This is still very much the case. However, with the new worldwide pandemic dynamic, monumental shifts have occurred regarding where the focus of these issues lie.

The new reality cyber security is facing can be divided into five crucial themes that can be used as a guideline for one’s digital security survival during the crisis. We’ve outlined them in our special report, which you can download by filling in your details below.