Millions of devices and security systems were compromised in 2018 because of a large number of data breaches across various different industries. Even though some of the world’s largest corporations, such as Facebook, suffered plenty of consequences, small businesses took the largest portion of the damage.

Artificial intelligence, or AI for short, has entered many fields, including healthcare, education, manufacture, and even cybersecurity. As one of the most advanced examples of modern technological improvements, artificial intelligence technology has proven to be a valuable asset in battling against cyber criminals.

We’ve witnessed hundreds of large cyber-attacks in 2018, from data breaches in large telecommunication companies to attacks on social media giants such as Facebook. However, 2018 is behind us but the threats still remain present.

Coming out of 2018, we’ve learned a lot about the importance of proper cybersecurity structures and safety measures. The previous year has witnessed an increased number of cyberattacks and data breaches that left millions of people’s data compromised.

The number of cybersecurity threats and executed attacks is constantly growing and there’s not so much you can do to prevent your business or personal devices from becoming another target. However, it is possible to reduce the risk and exposure towards cybercrime by implementing the core NIST functions in both business and personal life.

With online networks being a mandatory aspect of running a business nowadays, almost every company in the world has created some form of online presence on the internet. As much as the internet has changed the way we do business for the better, it has introduced numerous risks that, unfortunately, come with enormous consequences.

The NIST Cybersecurity Framework is widely accepted as a go-to collection of policies and regulations that help businesses maintain online security, identify threats, and protect their networks and data from potential damage.

The IoT, short for Internet of Things, is a complex concept of extended connectivity between multiple kinds of devices. If we overlook the complicated definitions, IoT can simply be explained as a form of worldwide internet connectivity.

According to GSMA data, 5 billion people in the world own mobile devices that can be connected to the internet. The majority of these devices are used to store, access, and share confidential business files and information on a daily basis.

The year of 2018 has been a wild ride when it comes to cybersecurity worldwide. The year before, in 2017, cyber-attacks cost small and medium-sized businesses an average of $2,235,000, as stated by Ponemon 2017 State of Cybersecurity in SMBs. We are still waiting for official statistics on how many cyberattacks took place during 2018. For all we know, there were too many data breaches and security incidents to count.