Industry executives and experts share their predictions for 2023. Read them in this 15th annual VMblog.com series exclusive.
Future Proofing Cybersecurity Defenses via Unified Identity Security
By Dan Conrad AD Security and Management Team Lead at One Identity
The new norm of remote work, cloud computing and digital transformation initiatives has created new gaps for cyber threat actors to exploit. To close the gaps, security experts need to change their way of thinking. Things that worked in the past no longer work in the present and with the ever-changing threat landscape and emerging advances in technology, old techniques definitely won’t work in 2023.
As more users are added virtually every day, the rise in both machine and human identities present even more challenges for the new year. To tame identity sprawl and close the cybersecurity exposure gap, organizations need to take action-or face fines, lawsuits and lost customer confidence and revenue. With identity security weaved throughout every element of business here are the identity-based considerations businesses should keep in mind for 2023:
A convergence of the identity market is imminent
As major companies are targeted by identity-based attacks (think Cisco and Twilio), it’s clear a fragmented approach to Identity and Access Management (IAM) is no longer sufficient. The future of IAM is the convergence of the four core elements of identity (Privileged Access Management, Access Management, Directory Security, and Access Governance) into one ecosystem. The market has begun to move in this direction in the past six months and this trend will solidify in 2023. This convergence will future-proof companies’ identity security defenses and change how they protect against the most sophisticated attacks.
Identity security will become all the more vital as the “metaverse” gains traction
As the metaverse gains traction, and new usage and access points evolve alongside it, the identity landscape will grow exponentially – opening up new gateways and threat vectors to potential bad actors. Already, 95% of businesses report challenges managing the number of identities that currently fall under their organization’s umbrella, which includes humans, devices, digital identities, etc and the multiple locations where the identities reside. So, as adoption of the metaverse increases, and users are encouraged to engage with and embrace the metaverse in new ways – through both digital and physical channels – it’s important for business leaders to keep in mind how preventative identity security and proactive identity management can be in mitigating longer-term cybersecurity risks.
Cyber insurance will be a staple of cyber hygiene moving forward
Given that compromised credentials are a leading cause of attacks, it’s no wonder we’re seeing much wider adoption of cyber insurance. Just a year ago, we weren’t hearing much about cyber insurance, but in 2023 it will be the staple of cyber hygiene investment. Companies across every industry are starting to realize that no business is safe from a cyberattack. And as leaders watch companies of all sizes impacted by cyberattacks, we’ll see an increase in both SMBs and large enterprises making the investment in cyber insurance to defend against data theft and cybercrime.
Observability is the most under-recognized technology to advance cybersecurity solutions
We’re starting to realize that understanding an organization’s data makes a difference in being able to thwart cyberattacks and prevent breaches. That’s why, observability has the biggest opportunity to change how we advance cybersecurity detection and remediation. Through observability solutions, security teams are empowered to take action and tie technology performance to specific business outcomes. By layering observability with identity management, security teams have access to more data on identity-based threats to remediate incidents in real-time and improve their security defenses.
To protect our people, customers and data, and to remain compliant to regulatory requirements, identity security should adapt to the times…because they are a changin’. And, we should continue to think of identity as the new perimeter. Staying ahead of the game is key and identity security is the glue that will hold it all together in 2023 and years to come.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Dan Conrad is the AD Management and Security Team Lead with One Identity. He has been with Quest since 2007 where his roles have included Solutions Architect, Federal CTO, and IAM Strategist. He is an experienced sysadmin having administered organizations ranging from 10,000 to 150,000 users. Dan’s experience started in the US Air Force working in information management. He retired from the Air Force in 2004 and returned to government IT as a contractor to the US Army. Dan holds a BS in Information Systems Management from Wayland Baptist University, an MS in Cybersecurity and Information Assurance from Western Governors University, and holds many certifications including CISSP, CEH, MCITP, and MCSE/MCSA.
