Redditors identify key cybersecurity threats including AI-driven attacks, phishing, and ransomware, while emphasizing the importance of proactive defense and staying informed.

Major Cybersecurity Threats

AI-Driven Attacks

• AI Phishing and Malware: The rise of AI has led to more sophisticated phishing attempts and malware. "In the past year, organizations saw increases in AI-generated phishing (49%), AI-powered malware (48%), and AI-driven identity fraud (47%)."

• Vulnerability Exploitation: AI is being used by attackers to find and exploit vulnerabilities faster. "The bad guys are definitely already using AI to find and exploit vulnerabilities."

Phishing

• Human Weakness: Phishing remains a significant threat due to the human element. "Phishing is still the biggest cyber threat, people will always be the weakest link in Cybersecurity."

• Advanced Techniques: AI can create highly personalized and convincing phishing emails. "Now instead of getting a classic phishing mail you could send an entire company personalized phising mails based on social media profiles etc."

Ransomware

• Business Disruption: Ransomware can severely impact businesses by locking data and demanding payment. "I think the biggest cybersecurity threat businesses face today is ransomware."

• Cost and Reputation: The financial and reputational costs of a ransomware attack can be substantial. "It can stop a business from working, cost a lot of money, and hurt their reputation."

Insider Threats

• Employee Risk: Employees can accidentally or intentionally share sensitive information, leading to security breaches. "Second according to a source I read. First is insider threat."

• Chain of Custody: Ensuring proper chain of custody for data is crucial. "~80% of our issues are inside jobs. Chain of custody is a must."

Supply Chain Attacks

• Vendor Vulnerabilities: Compromising a vendor can lead to attacks on multiple organizations. "Have different sources: your local CERT, Twitter/Bluesky accounts, if you are a client of a security/IT solution you can get emails from the vendors/editors, from your friends or colleagues, by participating to cybersecurity conferences/events and reading the published papers, with dedicated blogs... the list is long"

Defense Strategies

DNS Filtering

• Additional Security Layer: DNS filtering can block access to malicious websites. "DNS filtering as an additional layer of security and privacy."

• Recommended Tools: Quad9 and NextDNS are popular choices. "For basic home users I recommend Quad9, and for technical people I recommend NextDNS or similar."

Frameworks and Best Practices

• Follow Frameworks: Implementing recognized cybersecurity frameworks can improve your posture. "By doing a lot of things. There's no magic bullet. The best method IMO is to follow a well respected framework whether that's the CIS Controls, NIST CSF, NIST 800-53, Cyber Essentials, ISO27001 or whatever regional/local one applies to you."

Identity and Access Management (IAM)

• Federated Access: Ensure all SaaS applications federate through your identity provider. "Focusing on identity, making sure all SaaS applications federate through our identity provider so we can start to define requirements for access grants."

• Zero Trust: Implement multi-factor authentication (MFA) and other zero trust principles. "Start to combine multiple pillars of zero trust in order to Grant access, identity endpoints apps data infrastructure Network"

Employee Training

• Security Awareness: Regularly train employees on cybersecurity best practices. "Employee training is important."

Staying Updated

Communities and Forums

• Reddit Communities: Participate in cybersecurity communities for the latest insights. "I check three things every morning. 1. This sub 2. Sysadmin sub"

• LinkedIn: Connect with cybersecurity professionals for updates. "Honestly, LinkedIn. My connections are 99% in security."

Newsletters and Blogs

• Subscribe to Newsletters: Stay informed with curated cybersecurity news. "I sub to newsletters, and also some youtube channels that explain the current threat types."

• Follow Reputable Blogs: KrebsOnSecurity and VulnCheck’s KEV are highly recommended. "Specifically KrebsOnSecurity and VulnCheck’s KEV"

Podcasts and Webinars

• Listen to Podcasts: Learn on the go with cybersecurity podcasts. "Every morning, I listen to the 'Cyber Security Headlines' podcast by CISO Series."

• Attend Webinars: Gain insights from industry experts. "Participating to cybersecurity conferences/events and reading the published papers"

Additional Tips

• Password Hygiene and 2FA: Use strong, unique passwords and enable two-factor authentication. "I rotate passwords every few months on all my accounts, enable 2FA by default"

• Patching and Updates: Regularly update your software and firmware. "Running regular patch/firmware updates across endpoints."

• Threat Intelligence: Utilize threat intelligence to proactively identify and mitigate risks. "Providing actionable context and intelligence to stakeholders across different departments, at tactical operational and strategic level."

Communities for Further Questions

• r/cybersecurity

• r/Information_Security

• r/sysadmin