Industry executives and experts share their predictions for 2019.  Read them in this 11th annual VMblog.com series exclusive.

Contributed by Steve Marsh, Vice President of Product at Nucleus Cyber

Internal Threats, AI-driven Data Security Top 2019 Trends

Breaches in government, retail, finance, etc. make for quick headlines, but internal actors (or accidents) will wreak even greater havoc in the new year. An insider element is in 50% of all breaches (McKinsey), including the misuse of sensitive info, corporate espionage, malicious data theft and human error.

While the intelligent workplace has changed the way we store and share information, lower costs and improved collaboration have come with a price. Gartner estimates that $124B will be spent on info security, with data security as a fastest growing segment. This will put a greater focus on strategies like Artificial Intelligence (AI)-driven data security, especially when 85% of the Fortune 500 use Microsoft SharePoint Online...

While AI dates back to the mid 1950s, its use is more prominent than ever. Today, AI is a part of almost every major technology and enterprises are wise to leverage it. When used properly, AI enables us to effectively create, consume, analyze, manage and secure information that enable the global mobile workforce to collaborate as efficiently, and safely, as possible.

AI empowers enterprises to be better business problem solvers. It gives IT an option for dealing with information, systems and solutions overload-business functions all complicated further by a myriad of devices people need to be personally and professionally successful. Also, AI offers new ways to ensure data and process integrity given increased regulation, governance requirements, multiple server environments and cyberespionage.

On the flip side, while AI has progressed, growth will still be hindered by the available skilled human resources to harness its power. In addition, the term's misuse will continue to cause marketplace confusion-in the rush to adopt AI, some applications that claim to have it really don't, which convolutes AI's meaning and value, as well as how to properly use it.

Enterprises are willing to adopt AI and reap benefits from its promise, but will do more harm than good unless they understand AI and how to apply it to business problems. When used properly, AI will help break down information silos, and provide advanced data classification and analytics, which should result in more efficiently run businesses and greater competitive advantage.

With regard to both internal and external threats (hackers, human error, etc.), which will also become more prevalent, intelligent, dynamic solutions that secure data in any environment to protect against theft, information or credential misuse, and manual error will occupy a greater piece of the IT budget to ensure that AI performs in the manner that you need it to.

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