Industry executives and experts share their predictions for 2018. Read them in this 10th annual VMblog.com series exclusive.
Contributed by Chris Sullivan, SVP, Information Security Office, at Core Security and SecureAuth
What Can 2017's Cybermistakes Teach Us About What to Expect in 2018?
In today's connected world there are too many devices and too
many networks to protect and cyber criminals are more sophisticated than ever.
The 2017 threat landscape proved that no one is immune to cyber attacks. But
can we take the cybersecurity mistakes made in 2017 to better arm ourselves for
a safer 2018? There is hope. Organizations that take a comprehensive and
holistic approach to security and the ability to monitor identity, access,
authentication, threat, network detection and response and vulnerabilities have
the best chance at combating whatever new threats attackers throw at them in
the coming year. Below, the Core Security experts weigh in on what we can
expect in 2018 and what C-level teams need to be thinking about in order to
successfully navigate today's complex cyber environment.
Protect yourself from
insider threats
Organizations need to protect themselves from
the inside out. Stephen Newman, head of products and strategy at Core Security,
predicts that insider assisted threats - when a malicious threat actor or
accomplice has trusted access to an organizations information, processes or
security practices - will continue to expand. Company loyalty is diminishing,
healthcare costs are skyrocketing, companies are no longer participating in
401K matching and companies are sending more and more jobs overseas, creating
more reasons for an employee to be enticed by a threat actor.
"Traditional malware and
vulnerabilities/exploits are becoming more difficult to hide - at least inside
advanced companies that have valuable data to protect," says Stephen Newman.
"This is driving threat actors to other means of accessing confidential data.
With so much of our personal lives out in the open on social media or due to
other hacks, threat actors will blackmail employees into helping them."
Just like ransomware is holding individuals hostage, we
anticipate that with the level of personal information exposed, some
industrious bad guys will start using the data against the individuals,
creating the perfect storm for an inside job.
Will IoT ever be
secure?
Probably not, according to Bobby Kuzma, Security Researcher at
Core Security. There are too many devices to protect, creating an easy
environment for even the most unsophisticated criminal. "IoT security will
continue to suck. Everyone will complain and nobody will be able to do anything
about it," he says.
Fight the good fight
In light of recent breaches, many organizations are changing
their networks and trying to implement a "Zero Trust" way of thinking, which
requires thorough authentication before granting access to any networked
resource. Carefully planning out a "Zero Trust" model is the right approach,
says Stephen Newman. "To stay one step ahead in today's dynamic threat
landscape, organizations need to be strategic and forward-focused, instead of
focusing just on what hurts."
And it's not just security leaders who need to change their way
of thinking. The government needs to redirect its focus in regards to
cybersecurity policy in 2018. We're going to see a shift in the concept of
digital identity. "The concept of credit scoring is going to have to
fundamentally change," says Newman. "Virtually everyone now is exposed, so we
need a new system."
Organizations
who will successfully (and securely) navigate through 2018 will have a 365 view
of their security posture, not only looking at traditional network, endpoint, and vulnerability
information but also working to substantially reduce threat discovery and
response time.
##
About the Author
Chris Sullivan, SVP, Information Security Office, at Core
Security and SecureAuth
Chris
Sullivan oversees all aspects of Core's security principals, strategy and
posture, and the overall technology strategy across business lines and
partnerships. In addition, Chris helps drive CoreLabs, a center for cyber
security research and innovation, which maximizes collaboration between
developers and cyber defenders across all security domains. Previously,
Chris held positions as General Manager of Core Security's
Intelligence/Analytics business, and VP of EMEA Operations, Advanced Solutions,
Customer Solutions and Professional Services. He also serves as Chairman of the
Access Risk Benchmarking Committee for ISACA and is a frequent speaker at
industry conferences including the European Identity Conference, the Gartner
Catalyst Conference, the MIT International Science and Technology Initiatives
(MISTI), the IT GRC Forum, and the ISACA ISRM conference.