As we step into 2024, the technological landscape is poised for transformative shifts. This year, key predictions from leading technology thought leaders highlight ground-breaking developments. From the intensification of post-quantum cryptography conversations in boardrooms to the inevitable clash between AI as a cybersecurity savior or adversary, 2024 is shaping up to be a pivotal year. The reliability of digital records faces unprecedented challenges due to the rise of deepfakes, while the security of digital identities teeters between absolute safety and foundational vulnerability. Additionally, the traditional stronghold of RSA encryption will confront new threats, and businesses must adapt to the rapidly changing dynamics of digital certificate lifespans.
In 2024, post-quantum cryptography will become a mainstream boardroom discussion
In 2024, transitioning to quantum-resistant cryptography will become a mainstream boardroom discussion. No longer a buzzword or a topic to be tabled, becoming crypto-agile to prepare for post-quantum encryption will be a key focus for the C-suite next year. This shift has massively been supported by NIST’s development of quantum-resistant encryption and its impactful educational campaign on quantum’s threat to decryption. They have now transformed a once theoretical discussion about decryption into a mainstream business focus.
2024 will be another banner year for automation as it reshapes every sector and business beyond the enterprise level
In 2024, certificate automation is poised to mark another significant milestone, transcending its previous enterprise-level boundaries to redefine businesses and sectors across all scales. The surge in automation will intricately weave together our already interconnected digital infrastructure, transforming it into a seamless entity of automated services.
AI: A Threat Actor or Cybersecurity’s Ultimate Defense?
In the upcoming year, a decisive showdown will unfold, determining whether AI emerges as a formidable threat actor or the ultimate guardian of cybersecurity. In a race against time, hackers and cybersecurity professionals are actively harnessing the power of AI to fortify their respective endeavors. In 2024, the culmination of this race will reveal whether AI stands as a potential menace or the most impactful emerging technology protecting our cybersecurity realm.
2024, will be the year the reliability of the digital record will meet its demise as deep fakes undermine digital trust
2024, will be the year that the reliability of the digital record meets its demise as deep fakes fully undermine digital trust. Gone are the days when people could trust what they saw and heard. With the proliferation of deepfakes, every digital record whether that be a photo, video or voice recording could be a fake. Given our current reliance on digital records within our legal, security and digital systems, without a solution, we will witness the crumbling of our systems that rely on biometrics to authenticate identity. Soon all forms of recording devices will have a built-in encrypted timestamp, acting as a watermark at the time of capture. These encrypted watermarks must be built upon the only unimpeachable form of encryption, PKI, to separate authentic images from deepfakes to re-establish digital trust in images, videos, and recordings.
Digital identities have now entered an era of either pure blanket security or fundamental foundational insecurity
In 2024, the security of digital identities will enter an era of either complete blanket security or fundamental foundational insecurity. Digital identities are everywhere and encompass all aspects of everyday life, anything short of full-scale security is inadequate. Thanks to the saturation of digital identities, the days of unsecured digital systems are behind us. We are now in an everything-or-nothing era of either complete security or a rotting foundation.
In 2024 RSA will come under siege as researchers crack shortcuts to decryption
2024 will be the year RSA comes under siege as researchers worldwide intensify their efforts to unravel its encryption. The revelation of Post-Quantum Cryptography (PQC) was a lightbulb moment for researchers, who realized they no longer needed an operational quantum computer to achieve decryption. Next year more shortcuts to cracking RSA will be discovered as an influx of academics compete to breach encryption. Although RSA is not expected to succumb, it will undoubtedly grapple with an immense amount of pressure.
Businesses will have the rug pulled from underneath them as certificate lifespans exponentially shrink
Next year businesses will have the rug pulled from underneath them as digital certificate lifespans exponentially shrink. As leading web browsers continue to reduce the lifespan of digital certificates, businesses will face a major headache in replacing foundational elements of security. The impending shift will mean that foundational elements crucial to businesses will become notably challenging to replace once the new policy takes effect. In 2024 businesses must brace for a game-changing reassessment of security fundamentals that have long lingered in the shadows.
In conclusion, 2024 stands at the forefront of a technological revolution. The escalation of quantum-resistant cryptography discussions, the expanding influence of certificate automation, and the critical role of AI in cybersecurity delineate a year of significant challenges and opportunities. The deepfake phenomenon threatens the integrity of digital records, calling for innovative solutions to re-establish trust. The binary nature of digital identity security underscores the urgency for robust protection mechanisms. The besieged state of RSA encryption and the shrinking lifespans of digital certificates signal a year of reevaluation and adaptation for businesses. These developments collectively paint a picture of a year where technology will profoundly reshape our digital landscape, highlighting the need for agility and foresight in this ever-evolving domain.
By Christopher Bray, SVP of Partner and eCommerce Sales, at cybersecurity leader Sectigo