Security threats have broken records in 2022, from phishing reaching an all-time high in Q1 to the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) intercepting over 3,000 firearms in the first half of the year. Despite high threat levels, 2022 has also seen growth in physical & cybersecurity awareness and security thought leaders pushing the industry forward.
The Security magazine team highlights ten of the top news stories from 2022, ranging from emergency response post-Hurricane Fiona to cyber threats emerging in the expanding metaverse.
1. Evacuation efforts underway in Ukraine due to safety & security concerns
The Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 brought both physical safety and cybersecurity ramifications for Ukrainian residents and raised the geopolitical threat level across the globe. Security leaders responded in the early days of the invasion to reduce human impact through evacuations.
2. Uvalde school shooting timeline raises active shooter response questions
On May 24, 2022, 19 children and two teachers lost their lives in a mass shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas. National conversation regarding gun safety, active shooter response and school security resulted in widespread funding of school safety initiatives.
3. Global cybersecurity workforce grows to 4.7 million
The cybersecurity workforce reached an all-time high in 2022, with an estimated 4.7 million professionals working in the field globally. Despite adding 464,000 more cybersecurity professionals this year, the data revealed that 3.4 million more cybersecurity workers are needed to secure assets effectively.
4. DHS issues national terrorism alert due to recent acts of targeted violence
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security issued a number of national terrorism alerts this year naming mass shootings as a significant domestic threat. According to the Gun Violence Archive, there have been 622 mass shootings in the U.S. in 2022 as of December 7.
5. Data breach exposes records of 2.5 million student loan borrowers
In a year marked by national conversation about student loan repayment and economic instability, a data breach of the loan servicer Nelnet compromised the names, Social Security numbers, addresses, and other personally identifiable information (PII) of 2.5 million student loan borrowers across the United States.
6. Emergency management agencies aid Puerto Rico after Hurricane Fiona
Hurricane Fiona caused flooding and widespread power outages throughout Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic, with as many as eight deaths and over 1,000 rescues performed in Puerto Rico due to destruction brought about by the hurricane. Agencies across the globe are sent aid to the island to assist with emergency rescues, provide shelter and resources to victims, and rebuild damaged assets.
7. The metaverse ushers in a new era of cyber threats
With tech giants shifting their focus to the metaverse, NFTs and cryptocurrency, security professionals have been working throughout 2022 on strategies to mitigate cyber fraud as the technology evolves. The next-level complexity of hardware and software technologies that will make up the metaverse introduces countless attack surfaces and cybersecurity challenges.
8. Kimberly Cheatle named Director of US Secret Service
Secret Service veteran and former enterprise security executive Kimberly Cheatle was named the new Director of the U.S. Secret Service. Cheatle, who was named one of Security magazine's Women in Security 2022, started the role in August 2022.
9. CISA releases vulnerability management methodology
The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) published its guide on Stakeholder-Specific Vulnerability Categorization (SSVC), a vulnerability management methodology that assesses vulnerabilities and prioritizes remediation efforts based on exploitation status, impacts to safety, and prevalence of the affected product in a singular system. The SSVC aims to provide a framework for effective vulnerability management across U.S. organizations.
10. Security executives share industry insights at 2022 SECURITY 500 Conference
Security executives and their direct reports from across industries including aerospace, healthcare, critical infrastructure, defense, hospitality and more convened at the SECURITY 500 Conference in Washington, D.C. to network and share career insights on November 14, 2022.
For more security industry insights, check out Security magazine's top web exclusive stories of 2022 here.
