Identification of the Emerging Sources of Cybersecurity Threats

Abstract

Rapid evolution of technology has led to the emergence of new and sophisticated cybersecurity threats. Simultaneously, there is an increasing need to enhance understanding of the dynamic and evolving landscape. Organizations balance in managing a sufficient level of information security risks and establish protection against perceived cyber threats, for example, by training employees to identify and report suspicious emails and by adjusting security measures to a level that is pleasing to top management. The landscape of cybersecurity threats has appeared stable in recent years, and cyber criminals’ methods may be familiar and in the everyday news, but our vigilance should not be lowered. While overall awareness and capabilities are improving, cyberattacks are unfortunately matching that progress with increasingly sophisticated means. Technologically cyber threats are getting more sophisticated and intense challenging human minds by cleverly covered social engineering and unexpected zero-day exploits. Emerging technologies like generative Artificial Intelligence (AI), the global geopolitical situation, and aggressively evolving ransomware attacks are keeping cybersecurity professionals on their toes. What are the chances of winning the race against these invisible enemies without continuous monitoring and staying current with threat intelligence? This study aims to identify and analyse emerging threat sources by systematically reviewing recent research and examining well-established threat actor frameworks. The goal is to uncover the latest cybersecurity threats and signals that indicate their emergence. By using the present state of threat landscape within the European Union (EU) as a reference framework, this assessment provides a comprehensive. Key signals for identifying new threats are highlighted, such as unusual activity patterns and risk-based assessments. Additionally, the study identifies the most frequently used sources of threat information, emphasizing the importance of real-time data and recent publications in maintaining up-to-date threat awareness. The results highlight key themes and trends in the current cybersecurity landscape, revealing significant threat actors and novel attack vectors.