As cybersecurity moves into 2023, the trends from the past few years remain firmly in place. Australian organisations are increasingly focused on optimising their use of technology, and on the convergence of operational technology (OT) and information technology (IT). There has been a rapid pace of innovation in these sectors, but with these evolutions security continues to be of utmost importance. In the coming years it will be more important than ever for companies to have a clear understanding of their operational technology assets.

2022 has left its mark, particularly over the last couple of months, as cybersecurity has become a national issue. The recent high-profile breaches have cast a spotlight on the devastating effects of cyber-attacks.

2022 has propelled organisations forward in its own way. In 2023 we will see yet another chapter of cybersecurity threats and challenges, along with a shift across organisations to proactively take charge of their cyber resilience against new and evolving cyber threats.

These are my top three predictions for 2023.

It’s easy to see why ransomware is such a cash cow for cybercriminals. It’s more efficient and profitable than other cybercrimes and by exploiting our near-total dependence on the internet, bad actors can demand millions of dollars to restore operations. It’s also the worst-kept secret among Australia’s cyber community that businesses have been quietly paying millions in ransoms to bad actors who have stolen or encrypted their data.

The cybersecurity strategies followed by many organisations tend to be rather piecemeal affairs. Multiple products are deployed to tackle different threats...