Dec 23 min read

Closing Out 2024: A Year of Resilience and Cybersecurity Advancements

As we close out 2024, we reflect on the challenges and advancements that have defined the cybersecurity landscape. At Edgeworx, we’ve remained steadfast in our mission to deliver innovative, resilient, and proactive solutions to protect our clients from ever-evolving cyber threats. On top of our cybersecurity expertise, we also empower our clients to drive innovation and lead in their industries, ensuring they remain competitive and forward-thinking in an ever-changing world. Let’s dive into the highlights of 2024 and what they mean for the road ahead.

2024 in Review: Cybersecurity Highlights

1. Ransomware Attacks Reaching New Heights

Ransomware remained the dominant cyber threat in 2024, targeting businesses of all sizes and municipalities alike. From data theft to operational shutdowns, ransomware attacks wreaked havoc globally, with a significant rise in attacks on critical infrastructure. Organizations learned hard lessons about the importance of proactive defenses, recovery strategies, and business continuity planning (BCP).

At Edgeworx, we helped clients bolster their defenses with robust solutions like Privileged Access Management (PAM) through our partnership with senhasegura, as well as comprehensive BCP services tailored to municipal and SMB needs.

2. AI: A Double-Edged Sword

Artificial Intelligence emerged as both a powerful tool and a significant threat. On the defensive side, AI-driven solutions helped organizations detect anomalies, respond to threats faster than ever before, and improve operational efficiencies. However, cybercriminals also leveraged AI for more sophisticated phishing scams and adaptive malware.

3. Cybersecurity for Municipalities

Municipalities faced unique challenges in 2024, with legacy systems and limited resources making them prime targets for ransomware and phishing attacks. These attacks highlighted the urgent need for infrastructure modernization and specialized cybersecurity strategies.

Edgeworx worked closely with municipalities across Ontario, providing third-party IT infrastructure assessments and strategic roadmaps to secure critical operations. We also took an active role in municipal cybersecurity discussions through conferences like MISA INFOSEC 2024, where we shared insights and solutions tailored to local governments.

4. Hot Topics in Cybersecurity

Zero Trust Architecture: More organizations adopted zero-trust principles to mitigate insider threats and unauthorized access.
Supply Chain Vulnerabilities: Cybercriminals targeted third-party vendors to gain access to larger networks.
Cloud Security: With increased cloud adoption, ensuring data security in multi-cloud environments became a priority.

These topics emphasized the importance of aligning cybersecurity strategies with organizational goals—a principle Edgeworx continues to champion.

Trends to Watch in 2025

As we look ahead, here are the trends shaping the cybersecurity landscape:

AI-Powered Threats: Cybercriminals will continue leveraging AI to create more sophisticated attacks. Organizations must invest in AI-driven defenses to stay competitive.
Critical Infrastructure Protection: Securing essential services like water, energy, and healthcare will remain a top priority for municipalities and governments.
Heightened Regulatory Demands: Compliance with data protection laws and cybersecurity regulations will drive organizations to implement more rigorous controls. One question we have is how will these regulations impact organizations with already limited resources and staffing shortages?
Focus on Employee Training: With human error still a major vulnerability, investing in cybersecurity awareness training will be critical.

Edgeworx: Your Partner in Cybersecurity Excellence

2024 has been a year of growth, challenges, and collaboration for Edgeworx. From empowering SMBs to fortifying municipalities, our mission is to deliver tailored solutions and tools that make a difference.

As we enter 2025, we remain committed to:

Partnering with industry leaders to bring you best-in-class technology.
Providing strategic roadmaps to secure your operations.
Staying ahead of trends to ensure your organization is always prepared for what’s next.