5 Website Security Trends You’ll See in 2019

In the world of website security, there’s an ever-changing array of threats and technological advancements that come along seemingly every day. One thing’s for sure, the sophistication and scope of attacks will continue to grow, but so will the arsenal of tools webmasters have to defend their website and customer data.

After a year punctuated with high profile data breaches, website security is sure to be an issue at the forefront of every business leader’s mind. But what are some of the most prominent website security trends we expect to see in 2019?

1//   The methodology of attackers is changing

In the year ahead, website security experts expect to see a shift in the modus operandi of cybercriminals. Instead of stealing data, as has been done so many times in 2018, attackers will instead threaten to undermine the integrity of the data, with potentially catastrophic effects.

A data integrity attack involves the manipulation of data rather than its theft. In 2016, the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) was the victim of this type of attack, when data about famous athletes was not only breached, but it was also manipulated to try and damage the reputations of clean athletes.

The potential damage data integrity attacks can cause is huge. Entire stock markets could be poisoned by manipulated data such as sales figures, which could artificially inflate or deflate the value of a company’s stock. Even infrastructure such as the power grid, traffic lights and the water supply could be at risk.

This type of attack can be particularly damaging because it can have a much longer-term effect on the business. Consumers may no longer trust an organization’s data, which could bring an entire company down. The attacks can also go undetected for years, further increasing the extent of the damage.

2//   Multi-factor authentication will become the norm for online transactions

Only using a password to access websites and other online services currently makes life very easy for cybercriminals. Although it may not be welcomed by consumers initially, we expect to see multiple forms or optional authentication methods added to customer logins to boost the security of sites. This will help to provide an additional line of defence against the hugely damaging phishing attacks.

3//   Clearer internal understanding of the responsibility for cybersecurity

One of the biggest problems many businesses currently face is failing to assign and communicate responsibility for protecting their websites and data effectively. In a previous blog, we referenced a study by The Ponemon Institute, which found that both IT and Marketing Managers think that responsibility for customer data security lies with the other party. The result is that many sites are left unsecured and open to a potential data breach. In 2019, in response to the high-profile data breaches of 2018, we expect to see more defined responsibility cross-department to ensure that there is someone with ultimate ownership of the company's marketing security.

4//   Protecting against smarter AI

One of the big concerns many businesses have for the year ahead is that hackers will start to leverage artificial intelligence (AI) to find new ways to infiltrate websites and apps at scale. We recently discussed this point in an article that was published on TechRadar Pro.

With every type of attack prevented, hackers create new and more sophisticated ways to breach the standard defences. The worry is that AI could be the ‘next big thing’ for the attackers, allowing them to configure and learn defence tools and bypass even the most advanced security implementations. This is something cybersecurity professionals will have to work hard to counter in 2019 through various measures including website marketing security.

5//   The start of cyber-risk insurance

With cyberattacks costing the global economy an incredible $600bn annually, it’s perhaps little surprise that businesses are looking for new ways to protect themselves against the colossal risks. As a result, we expect to see cyber-risk insurance become an increasingly common part of the operational risk strategies many firms put in place.

At the moment, there is a fairly limited range of policies available. However, in 2019, we expect to more and more cyber-risk policies that are tailored to the specific risks smaller and medium-sized businesses face. That could include cover for the loss of reputation and even the loss of future revenues from negative media coverage, although clearly, such policies will not come cheap.

Protect your website in 2019

67 percent of businesses are yet to implement marketing security for their website and are putting their customers and their reputations at risk. Ensighten MarSec™ provides protection against data risks to keep your website customer data secure and safeguarded against data breaches in 2019 and beyond. Get in touch to discuss your requirements or arrange a demo today.