As VentureBeat reports, Google cybersecurity executives warn that identity and authentication-related attacks will remain a struggle for organizations through credentials bought on the dark web or obtained through social engineering. Insider risks will also increase, Google executives say. Ransomware attacks are expected to ramp up too, on both the public and private sectors.

Other Google honchos see websites and apps increasingly adopting passkeys, given that phishing attacks keep climbing. Tech companies and governments are seen putting pressure on commercial spyware and hack-for-hire providers, causing those threat actors to shift business models.

According to a separate VentureBeat report, Microsoft’s security brass forecasts 2023 to be a year of advance and collaboration for the cybersecurity industry as a whole. Data-driven intelligence is expected to be crucial, and ransomware threats aren’t going anywhere, but beware of new extortion tactics—“hack and leak” and data destruction have already tightened the screw on victims.

Accenture executives tell the same publication that geopolitical and economic question marks will drive an increase in cyberattacks from ever-more organized groups. Like Google, Accenture predicts that more threat actors will either buy access credentials or con insiders into sharing them, rather than use detectable malware. At the same time, Accenture touts the cybersecurity benefits of broader talent pools, and notes that protecting critical infrastructure will be key.

Similarly, IBM security bosses tell VentureBeat that ransomware attacks will focus on sectors or companies that are already vulnerable—which more may be given warning of a global recession. Somewhat contrary to Google, IBM also sees hack-for-hire operators enjoying a boom, with a downturn in the broader economy spurring hopes for a fast payday.

Elsewhere, Security Magazine reports on 13 predictions for the year ahead from other industry pros, from growing demand for yet greater difficulty obtaining cybersecurity insurance to a recession-induced dip in funding for training.