2020 Cybersecurity Outlook Report - In the search for clarity in the modern attacker vs. defender battle, it’s all about behaviors

The conflict of “good vs. evil” is a theme that’s captivated humanity throughout history, spanning religion, ethics, philosophy, politics, art, literature, and cinema. Often with larger-than-life characters leading the narrative, the “good vs. evil” conflict reveals humanity’s intrinsic desire to be safe amidst an omniscient and, often, ephemeral sense of fear.

In cybersecurity, this conflict plays out on a daily basis, where “good” is represented by the unsung cybersecurity heroes and “evil” is represented by an aggregation of nation state actors, cybercriminals, hackers, industrial spies, hacktivists, and cyber terrorists all with different agendas rooted in a desire to tip the balance of power in their favor.

In order to shift this balance of power, certain behaviors are required. We’ve often said that understanding cybersecurity comes down to understanding attacker behaviors. In this report, we use key data from cyberattacks seen over the last year to tell a clear story on how attackers are evolving and what defenders are (and should be) doing to evolve their own behaviors.