CYBERSECURITY PREDICTIONS ON THE CARDS
In early June, Gartner, the Stamford-based technology research and consulting company, hosted its annual Security and Risk Management Summit in Sydney, Australia. The summit sessions were wide-ranging, from application and data security to cyber threat mitigation and even diversity and inclusion. One of the main takeaways was Gartner’s cybersecurity predictions for 2023 and beyond. Here we look at seven of these that apply to all industry sectors and most probably your business. While cybersecurity predictions may simply be conjecture, it’s certainly worth taking the time to see what you can do to secure your data and your business, and how cybersecurity practices are set to change.
CONSUMER PRIVACY
At the moment, 3 billion global citizens have access to privacy rights in 50 countries. By the end of next year, Gartner believes that privacy legislation will cover 5 billion humans, accounting for 70% of the world’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Making predictions further ahead, Nader Henein, the firm’s VP Analyst, said:
“By year-end 2024, Gartner predicts that 75% of the world’s population will have its personal data covered under modern privacy regulations. This regulatory evolution has been the dominant catalyst for the operationalization of privacy.”
SINGLE VENDOR ACCESS
A problem that faces many businesses is IT vendor and supplier control. The second of Gartner’s cybersecurity predictions claim that by 2025, 80% of all enterprises will use a single vendor for their website hosting, cloud services and private application access. Single-vendor solutions mark an enormous step forward in terms of efficiency and security. You have improved IT integration and there are fewer locations where data needs to be decrypted, analysed and then encrypted again.
BIG TIME ZERO TRUST
Although first implemented by Google in 2010, Zero Trust is a risk mitigation strategy that is trending in the world of IT at the moment. It is built on the premise of ‘trust no one and nothing’ regarding your IT network security. Gartner predicts that by 2025, 60% of businesses will have adopted some form of Zero Trust in their cybersecurity strategies.
WHAT’S YOUR CYBERSECURITY RISK?
Before considering another of Gartner’s cybersecurity predictions, ask yourself these questions. How often do you thoroughly vet a new supplier or partner or even an incumbent employee? What is their level of cybersecurity risk? Do they enforce good cyber hygiene? Are they adequately educated and trained in risk mitigation? Currently, only 23% of security and risk leaders monitor third parties in real-time for cybersecurity exposure. Gartner states that by 2025, 60% of us in business will use cybersecurity risk as a determinant for deciding whether or not to engage in new business relationships.
RANSOMWARE LEGISLATION
The threat of a ransomware attack paralyzing your business is always worrying, especially when you consider the likes of Kaseya and Colonial Pipeline last year. While most victims are eager to pay the ransom so that they can get back to work, a new trend is emerging. Gartner claims that by 2025, 30% of the world’s countries will enforce legislation that governs ransomware payments. Before negotiating, it also recommends engaging with a professional response team, working with law enforcement agencies, and contacting regulatory bodies such as the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) in the UK.
ORGANISATIONAL RESILIENCE
The coronavirus pandemic exposed how unprepared businesses are for large-scale disruption. Gartner recommends that C-level management recognise organisational resilience as an imperative strategy, working collaboratively with employees, stakeholders, customers and suppliers. It believes that by 2025, 70% of CEOs will enforce a culture of organisational resilience as part of Business Continuity (BC) management.
C-LEVEL ACCOUNTABILITY
At the moment, many of us consider cybersecurity as a technical IT problem rather than a business risk. It is both. By 2026, Gartner predicts that 50% of executive management will be formally accountable for cybersecurity risk mitigation, moving the responsibility away from security leaders. On that note, some closing words from Richard Addiscott, Senior Director Analyst at Gartner, who said at the summit:
“We can’t fall into old habits and try to treat everything the same as we did in the past. Most security and risk leaders now recognize that major disruption is only one crisis away. We can’t control it, but we can evolve our thinking, our philosophy, our program and our architecture.”
MY CYBERSECURITY PREDICTIONS
Robust cybersecurity is a must for any businesses and often it is difficult to predict the best solutions for you. But I have cybersecurity predictions of my own that encompass data security, an impenetrable IT network and peace of mind. With over 20 years of experience in professional business IT support and management, I can help you to address all of your cybersecurity needs, no matter what changes the future brings. Contact me today and let’s devise a cybersecurity strategy that will keep your business safe and secure for the foreseeable future.