With this in mind, my predictions for 2024 are:

1. AI will spur a rapid evolution of cyber threats
   In 2024, AI will change the threat landscape in fundamental ways. Firstly, the convergence of human ingenuity with AI capabilities will serve as a ‘force multiplier’ for cyber threat actors. This amalgamation will broaden both their reach and technical prowess.

   Security teams have already observed AI’s use in generating ransomware and malware; however in 2024 that use will quickly increase in other ways. The technology will enable cybercriminals to exploit specific areas, quickly detect vulnerabilities, and evade detection.

   Also, the evolution of AI holds the promise of ushering in autonomous, computer-based threat actors capable of executing end-to-end cyberattacks. This advancement could empower a single threat actor to perform in the same way as a large group, replacing human technical skills and gaining a competitive edge over security tools and teams.

   • AI’s role in enhancing existing attack vectors such as phishing will continue: however the technology will also be used to craft new attack vectors thanks to the increasing quality of output produced by generative AI tools.
   • AI even has the potential to reshape human understanding of reality by fabricating deceptive content across various mediums including articles, legal cases, correspondence, videos, advertisements, and historical data.
   • Additionally, the widening adoption of AI assistants by programmers may paradoxically lead to an increase in errors in software development, breeding security vulnerabilities within source code. Some studies suggest that developers who rely on AI assistants are more prone to injecting vulnerabilities into their outputs. Cloud services and AI-generated errors may therefore pave the way for unintentional software security flaws.

2. Dedicated applications will face obsolescence
   In the wake of generative AI’s transformative influence the era of dedicated applications and icons will begin to fade during 2024. The foundations will be put in place for a future where tasks that were once app-bound are seamlessly navigated through AI interfaces. This will make things such as mobile applications for banking, travel, and information retrieval redundant.

3. UCS will become the future of communication
   During the coming year, cloud-driven Unified Communication Services (UCS) will increasingly replace plain-old telephone services and dedicated voice-over-IP systems. However, this revolution in communication will also bring with it vulnerabilities and exploits that challenge a once-secure communication landscape.

4. Subscription overload will increase
   The shift towards subscription-based access to myriad products and services will herald a new era in ownership during the coming year. While offering convenience, this evolution will also cause concerns around data loss and security breaches when gaps in subscription licensing occur.

5. USB-C standardization will continue
   The standardization of USB-C will usher-in better compatibility and ease of use, but will also introduce a new avenue for threat actors to exploit physical connections. This will lead to an upsurge in so-called ‘’ and related attack vectors.

6. A shift in ransomware trends
   Ransomware actors will shift from extorting data to selling exploit and vulnerability information. They will increasingly seek to sell information that can compromise an organization rather than directly engage in ransomware attacks.

7. Cyber insurance will be more standardized
   The maturation of cyber insurance will evolve towards a more standardized approach. This will involve the consideration of core controls and frameworks that can help to mitigate risk and liability across providers.