New research published today by the Information Security Forum (ISF) predicts nine potential threats that could make 2022 a turbulent year for cybersecurity and business.
The direful overarching theme of the "Threat Horizon 2022" report is that the collision of the digital and physical worlds in 2022 will spell disaster for humanity.
The ISF states: "The digital and physical worlds are on an irreversible collision course. By 2022, organizations will be plunged into crisis as ruthless attackers exploit weaknesses in immature technologies and take advantage of an unprepared workforce. At the same time, natural forces will ravage infrastructure."
Menaces detailed in the report include a digital cold war that engulfs businesses followed by a crisis of trust that will undermine digital companies.
A further threat is the disruption of everyday life by invasive technology, predicted as a growing number of governments deploy tracking technology on their citizens, ostensibly to limit the spread of COVID-19.
The ISF believes that augmented reality (AR) technologies will usher in new immersive opportunities for business, but attackers "will be able to compromise the privacy and safety of individuals when systems and devices are exploited."
Sensor-rich semi-autonomous robo-helpers used at home and in the workplace will be weaponized by attackers, stealing intellectual property and carrying out digital espionage.
Meanwhile, consumers, sick of having their data endlessly harvested, will lash back at companies, demanding more intense scrutiny of data collection and analytics and questioning the ethics of this invasive practice. Instances of data abuse will be exposed by a generation of digital activists.
Scammers will be in their heyday, able to exploit technology and con a new generation of always connected employees with radically different attitudes to security.
Digital content that has been manipulated by artificial intelligence will be used by malicious parties to create hyper-realistic digital clones of senior executives, spreading misinformation and undermining trust in digital businesses.
Another major problem predicted by the ISF is the impact of extreme weather events on global infrastructure.
The report states: "Extreme weather events will increase in frequency and severity, with organizations feeling the impact on their digital and physical assets, pushing business continuity and disaster recovery plans to breaking point."