Key Takeaways from 2024

2024 marked a pivotal year in cybersecurity and technology, characterized by significant shifts in social media dynamics, groundbreaking AI advancements, and persistent security challenges. From regulatory actions reshaping the tech landscape to sophisticated supply chain attacks, the year demonstrated both the rapid evolution of technology and our ongoing struggle to secure it. This review explores the key developments that defined 2024 and their implications for the future.

Social Media is Dead, Long Live Social Media

The traditional social media landscape underwent significant transformation in 2024. The debates around free speech and content moderation reached new heights, pushing users towards alternative platforms. BlueSky's meteoric rise to over 20 million users demonstrated the growing appeal of decentralized networks, while established platforms grappled with maintaining user engagement and trust.

Regulatory Landscape and Digital Rights

2024 was marked by unprecedented regulatory action. The EU AI Act set global standards for AI development and deployment, while the Chat Control regulations sparked heated debates about privacy. Major antitrust lawsuits reshaped Big Tech, with Google forced to consider selling Chrome due to antitrust pressure. These changes signaled a shift towards stricter oversight of digital platforms.

Supply Chain Security Takes Center Stage

The Salt Typhoon attacks, targeting major telecom providers like Charter and Windstream, echoed the SolarWinds incident. Another major incident involved malicious backdoor code discovered in Linux distributions, proving that supply chain vulnerabilities remain a critical threat vector. These sophisticated operations highlighted how threat actors continue to leverage trusted software distribution channels for widespread compromise.

The AI Revolution Accelerates

Artificial Intelligence reached remarkable new milestones in 2024, particularly in multimodal capabilities. Models progressed from text-only interactions to generating sophisticated video content, creating music, and engaging in more natural conversations. However, interesting limitations persisted - like the consistent inability to accurately depict gymnastic movements, highlighting the gap between AI's capabilities and human perception of natural movement.

Code generation capabilities expanded significantly, though requiring careful human oversight. The rise of AI agents and enterprise AI implementations demonstrated the technology's growing maturity, while the proliferation of accessible open-source models democratized AI development. This democratization, however, also lowered barriers for creating disinformation, raising new security concerns.

The year also saw increased focus on AI safety and regulation, with major labs implementing more rigorous testing protocols and transparency measures. The development of open-source alternatives to proprietary models reshaped the AI landscape, making powerful tools more accessible while raising questions about control and responsibility.

Critical Infrastructure Remains Vulnerable

Zero-day and N-day vulnerabilities in network hardware continued to pose significant threats. The CrowdStrike-related IT outages demonstrated the widespread vulnerability of critical services, affecting major organizations globally and highlighting the ongoing challenge of securing essential infrastructure.

The Rise of Infostealers

Information-stealing malware emerged as one of the year's dominant threats. Reports showed a significant increase in the sophistication and prevalence of these threats, with cybercriminals focusing on credential theft and financial fraud. The accessibility of these tools on criminal markets has led to unprecedented levels of data theft.

Quantum and Crypto: Beyond the Hype

While "quantum" and "crypto" remained buzzwords, 2024 saw these technologies mature into serious considerations for cybersecurity planning. Google's Willow quantum chip announcement marked a significant advancement in quantum computing. Meanwhile, Bitcoin reached unprecedented highs, solidifying cryptocurrency's position in the financial landscape despite previous market volatility.