According to the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), the Global Cybersecurity Index (GCI) is a trusted reference that measures the commitment of countries to cybersecurity at a global level. GCI is an initiative of the ITU, along with the UN specialized agency for Information and communication technologies (ICTs), that has been shaped, and improved by the work of a diverse range of experts and contributors within countries and other organizations. Based on the GCI last conducted in 2020, the United States ranked number one and the United Kingdom ranked number two, along with Saudi Arabia as the top performing countries when regarding cybersecurity. However, even the top performers encounter risks from cyberattacks.
Some top threats to cybersecurity here in the US according to Dr. Michelle Moore, are phishing attacks, ransomware attacks, crypto-jacking, cyber-physical attacks, state-sponsored attacks, IoT attacks, smart medical devices and electronic medical records, third parties (vendors, contractors, partners), connected cars and semi-autonomous vehicles, social engineering, and a severe shortage of cybersecurity professionals. Some of the top threats in the UK according to Luiso, are ransomware/cryptolocker attacks, email phishing/whaling scams, online extortion, and zero-day attacks. According to Tyagi, other threats that are occurring in the UK when surveying both private and government chief information security officers are insider threats, cloud account compromise, supply chain attacks, and incident response capabilities. These two countries communicate often with each other and conduct business dealings amongst themselves regularly, so a lot of the risks will be similar between both countries.
One of the threats that seem to be prominent in both countries is phishing attacks, where a message is sent, usually through email, pretending to be an authentic source attempting to get an unsuspecting user to click on a link, which then can be used to infiltrate a device or system with malware to steal information. As more awareness and education are being utilized in companies and ensuring that employees know the signs of cyberattacks, most unintentional breaches can be reduced greatly. It is also observed that the cybersecurity workforce shortage is not just a US issue, but a UK issue as well. As the landscape of attacks and warfare changes, so does the defensive strategy. With cyberattacks being initiated from anywhere in the world and able to attack anywhere in the world, the number of defenders of cyberattacks will have to increase to at least stay at par and make it difficult for cyber attackers to get what they want.
Sources:
Global Cybersecurity Index. (n.d.). ITU. Retrieved September 25, 2022, from https://www.itu.int/en/ITU-D/Cybersecurity/Pages/global-cybersecurity-index.aspx
Publications. (n.d.). Retrieved September 25, 2022, from https://www.itu.int/epublications/publication/D-STR-GCI.01-2021-HTM-E
Moore, M., Ph.D. (2022, August 1). Top Cybersecurity Threats in 2022. University of San Diego Online Degrees. Retrieved September 25, 2022, from https://onlinedegrees.sandiego.edu/top-cyber-security-threats/
Luiso, L. (2022, March 1). 4 Biggest & Scariest Cyber Threats to UK Businesses & How To Avoid Them. Amazing Support. Retrieved September 25, 2022, from https://www.amazingsupport.co.uk/4-biggest-scariest-cyber-attack-threats-to-uk-businesses-how-to-avoid-them/
Tyagi, R. (2022b, August 22). 4 of the biggest cyber security risks we face in the UK today, according to experts. Evening Standard. Retrieved September 25, 2022, from https://www.standard.co.uk/tech/cyber-security/cyber-security-risks-uk-cisos-b1017652.html
Cyber Security Breaches Survey 2022. (2022, July 11). GOV.UK. Retrieved September 25, 2022, from https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/cyber-security-breaches-survey-2022/cyber-security-breaches-survey-2022#key-findings