Technological innovations are fundamental for the development of any organization regardless of its size or segment, they are the basis for a business to establish itself in the market and attract more and more customers.
After all, we live in the era of connection where innovations emerge at every moment, so Artificial Intelligence, Internet of Things, Blockchain and Quantum Computing are no longer futuristic terms, but tools that are already part of or permeate business.
However, it is necessary to be careful, because just as emerging technologies define new avenues to explore, they also represent significant challenges, especially for the security of our data.
In this article, we will talk a little more about emerging technologies and what are the risks associated with their rapid adoption.
What are emerging technologies?
Emerging technologies often represent significant advancements offering new capabilities, efficiency improvements, or new business models.
The term "emerging" suggests that these technologies are in the early stage of adoption and development, but above that they have the potential to transform society, economy, and various industries.
In fact, these technologies are already causing a real transformation, Artificial Intelligence is automating processes, the Internet of Things optimizes industrial operations, and Quantum Computing promises to solve complex problems.
However, due to their initial nature, emerging technologies can also present challenges, such as security issues, regulation, market acceptance, and societal impacts.
Therefore, it is necessary to understand and monitor the development of these technologies so that it is possible to take advantage of their potential and, at the same time, manage their risks and impacts.
Artificial Intelligence (AI)
Perhaps AI is the most well-known and used technology by people. It concerns a field of computer science that focuses on developing systems capable of performing tasks that would normally require human intelligence.
With this, it aims to create programs and machines that can learn, reason, make decisions, and solve problems autonomously, simulating human cognitive processes.
This technology is being used in a variety of industries, such as to analyze large volumes of data in real time, identify patterns, make accurate predictions, and support strategic decisions.
In addition, it is widely used in chatbots and virtual assistants based to efficiently provide customer support, answer common questions, solve simple problems, and route complex queries to human agents.
Another important point of the use of AI is in the repetitive and rule-based processes that are being automated.
This makes it clear that AI has come to automate processes and help people and companies perform tasks quickly and effectively. However, this technology presents major challenges and risks to cybersecurity.
Such as, for example, in targeted attacks, this is because AI algorithms can be used by cybercriminals to identify vulnerabilities in security systems, exploiting weaknesses.
Or even be trained to analyze and create fake profiles using a database, facilitating social engineering attacks.
Another cybersecurity risk is chatbots that are often used to automate phishing attacks, send messages that seem legitimate to trick people, and obtain sensitive information.
AI algorithms can reveal sensitive or identifiable information if they are not adequately controlled regarding the privacy of the data used.
In addition to all these risks, with advances in techniques such as deep fakes, AI can be used to create false content that can deceive identity verification systems or disseminate false information, compromising the reliability of the data.
Internet of Things (IoT)
The Internet of Things (IoT) is a concept where objects are connected to the internet and can collect and exchange data. These objects, or devices, range from household appliances to complex industrial machinery and environmental sensors.
In industry, IoT enables the creation of smart factories, where machines and equipment are connected to optimize production, perform predictive maintenance, and improve operational efficiency.
In this way, several processes that were done manually by people are optimized and carried out by this technology.
However, the expansion of IoT also brings challenges related to cybersecurity and data privacy, due to its distributed nature, variety of devices, and lack of standardization in terms of security.
That's because, many IoT devices are designed with a focus on connectivity and functionality. Resulting in vulnerabilities such as weak passwords, lack of regular security updates, and open network ports that can be exploited by criminals.
In addition, data transmission between IoT devices and cloud platforms is not always properly encrypted, which can facilitate the interception of information by unauthorized persons during this communication.
Another imminent danger of IoT is that devices can be compromised and used as part of botnets, networks of remotely controlled devices to launch distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks against specific targets.
Blockchain
Blockchain is a decentralized technology that allows the creation of digital records of transactions in a secure, transparent, and immutable way.
This emerging technology has risen to prominence in recent years due to cryptocurrencies. However, its applications go beyond finance, it can be used in:
· Smart contracts;
· Supply chain management;
· Asset tracking;
· Electronic voting.
This is because the fundamental aspect of blockchain is its decentralization, that is, instead of relying on a central authority such as a bank, for example, to validate transactions, consensus is reached in a distributed way by the network participants.
But what does this mean? With the use of this technology, it is difficult to have a point of failure and, in addition, any malicious change, no matter how small, in the data is extremely difficult, because the consensus of the majority of nodes in the network is required.
In this way, blockchain provides a transparent and secure record of transactions, it promises to transform industries by reducing costs, increasing efficiency, and enabling new business models based on trust and transparency.
While this technology offers many benefits in terms of security, transparency, and immutability, it can also present risks and challenges that can undermine data security.
One of the main features of blockchain is that the recorded data is immutable and permanent. While this is an advantage, it can also become a problem.
This can happen if sensitive data or incorrect information is entered into the blockchain, as the information is immutable, it will not be possible to change or remove it.
In this way, this sensitive information or data can be permanently exposed without proper control.
In addition, smart contracts are executed on the blockchain that automate and verify transactions.
However, if these contracts contain bugs or vulnerabilities, they can be exploited by criminals, resulting in the loss of assets or data.
Importantly, many blockchains are public and accessible to anyone, meaning that the recorded data is visible to all network participants.
If sensitive information is recorded without proper encryption, it can be accessed by malicious people.
What is the risk of emerging technologies?
As we have seen, all emerging technologies present a breakthrough for organizations and work automation, but at the same time, they offer serious risks to the security of our data and confidentiality in institutions.
Many of these risks arise from vulnerabilities that have not yet been discovered and exploited. As they are new technologies, there has not yet been enough time for testing and evaluation.
Additionally, IT teams may not have the necessary knowledge or experience to properly manage and secure new technologies, which can lead to insecure configurations and increased risk of security incidents.
As such, technologies such as IoT and AI that collect and process large volumes of data can increase the risk of exposure of this information if not implemented with proper privacy controls.
But this does not mean that organizations should not implement these technologies due to their risks, quite the contrary, they are responsible for the technological advancement and market presence of companies.
Not investing in these stocks can cause your institution to lose competition in the market and thus have serious financial consequences.
Therefore, it is essential to prioritise the research, development and implementation of emerging technologies to address these evolving challenges.
To stay safe, you need to stay up to date on innovations and their implications, only with this information is it possible to create robust and effective cybersecurity defenses.
Therefore, to mitigate these risks, it is essential to adopt a security approach that includes continuous vulnerability assessments, secure integration with existing systems, training and enablement of IT teams.
PhishX in the implementation of these technologies
Emerging technologies are very important for organizations, their implementation determines the success of companies. That is why it is essential that they are used by everyone.
Because they are new to the market, they present a series of risks, and to mitigate them it is important to implement safety practices, in addition to awareness and continuous education about the risks and best practices associated with their use.
PhishX is an ecosystem specialized in bringing knowledge about data security to people. We can help organizations make people aware of the risks associated with emerging technologies.
That's because we have a library full of content, with educational videos and frequent announcements, designed to keep your team informed about the latest cyber threats.
Our materials provide valuable resources that can be easily accessed and utilized for ongoing training.
In addition, PhishX uses artificial intelligence to create and personalize content specific to your organization.
This ensures that the information is relevant and tailored to your company's needs. Our AI generates up-to-date educational materials, keeping your team prepared to identify and respond to threats.
By combining advanced technology with an educational approach, PhishX offers a complete solution for mitigating cyber risks.
With our help, your organization can develop a defense against the threats posed by the adoption of emerging technologies.
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