Industry executives and experts share their predictions for 2022. Read them in this 14th annual VMblog.com series exclusive.
4 Cybersecurity Trends for the Network
By Raj Sivasankar, Executive Director, Product Management, BluVector, a Comcast company
While we are about to usher out 2021 – a year of unprecedented ransomware attacks – the need to better protect our networks will be more critical than ever in 2022. After all, the network is the hub that connects corporate networks to mobile, IoT devices and VPNs and thus vulnerable to various attack vectors. The need to protect the network at line speed has never been more important. Here are some network security trends to look for in 2022:
1. Government regulation for cybersecurity incidents extends to enterprises
Organizations are faced with protecting themselves from a variety of threats and are also faced with increasing government regulations. One of the big requirements coming out of government regulations is the timely reporting of all cybersecurity incidents to federal regulators. This may initially be required from companies doing business with government or are part of US critical infrastructure but will become a reality for enterprises as well. Reporting requires understanding of what is going on with an organization’s network and users. Organizations must report on how an intrusion or malicious activity might have occurred, how long it persisted, and the amount of damage done. Putting in the tools and procedures for generating these reports as comprehensively and efficiently as possible, on any undesirable network activity, will be a growing need.
2. Tracking devices will be more important than ever
Organizations will need to increasingly track devices that are connected to enterprise resources. Companies will put more effort tracking devices that connect to enterprise assets even if devices are not owned or managed by the enterprise. This is part of the move to zero trust architecture.
3. More importance will be paid to tracking endpoints
An organization’s network is only as secure as its weakest link, and that may very well be an unsecured endpoint. Endpoints, including IoT and mobile devices and even VPNs, will need to be secured. As support ends for 2G and 3G devices, cyber attackers have an opportunity to leverage vulnerable devices to infiltrate the network. It will be important for organizations to shore up their defenses.
4. Machine-learning cybersecurity tools will play a bigger role in protecting the network
Organizations’ SOC departments will increasingly rely on machine learning tools that continue to learn and improve with analyst input. New machine learning tools will leverage analyst regular input with a focus on reinforcing learning techniques or re-training of supervised models using regularly updated analyst labeled data to help direct the classification. The value of these tools operating in a network with analyst regular input will increase over time, making each tool uniquely capable for its network.
Protecting and securing an organization’s network has never been more critical and 2022 will prove to be a crucial year in strengthening network security. Whether through the adoption of machine-learning technologies, better policies or stricter compliance, enterprises will place more emphasis on securing their networks.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Raj leads Product Management for BluVector. He has a 20+ year long track record developing technology and translating technology into products that meet critical cybersecurity needs both on-premise and in the cloud, and is a veteran of many successful start-ups. In addition to leading new product launches, Raj works closely with the user communities to ensure product features continuously evolve to meet new needs. Raj has published articles on the challenges of using outdated technology and techniques to stop modern attacks.
