Industry executives and experts share their predictions for 2021. Read them in this 13th annual VMblog.com series exclusive.
5 Cybersecurity Predictions to Take to the Bank in 2021 (Maybe)
By David Canellos,
President and CEO, Ericom
Software
It is an understatement to say that 2020 was a year of profound
change for businesses. In response to
the pandemic, organizations had to rapidly rework the way they operated in
order to survive. While putting new processes and technologies in place to
connect, support and secure their remote workforces, businesses also needed to
define new ways of interacting with customers, suppliers and others in their
ecosystems. Since none of these things
were on anybody's radar screens last year at prediction time, I share these
projections for 2021 with a bit of trepidation -- and a "maybe" hedge in the title
for a bit of air cover. That said, here goes:
Post-pandemic, 50% of us in remote work-compatible jobs will
stick with remote work
Six months ago, the prevailing attitude was that everyone was
yearning to get back into the office and that we would all rush back as soon as
possible. But things feel different now. Don't get me wrong, the vast majority
of us will be back in the office for at least some time each week, but more
than 50% of workers who can do so will make semi-remote work their new normal.
People have figured out how to manage through the downside of remote work and
have fully embraced the upside. Managers who were previously concerned by the
lack of control, have seen excellent results from their teams and become
believers in the approach. And let's not forget the finance folks (and
shareholders), who love the cost-saving opportunities. For those of us in the
cybersecurity industry, protecting this new distributed workplace, with users,
applications, data, and devices spread all over the place, is now job #1.
As workers start to make their way back into the office,
cybersecurity incidents will spike
Cyberattacks increased dramatically as companies quickly moved to
establish remote work environments for their employees. Attackers took advantage
of vulnerabilities that were exposed as IT infrastructures were flexed and
strained by keeping remote workers connected and productive. In some cases, corners were cut and processes
relaxed to allow business to continue -- a pragmatic concession to the new
reality. In 2021, with workers moving freely between networks at home and in
the office, connecting in the office with corporate-managed or sanctioned
devices and, perhaps, sometimes with personal devices, cybercriminals will
target new "mixed-environment" vulnerabilities, requiring cybersecurity teams
to counter threats that aim to exploit this vector.
Zero Trust security becomes part of enterprise DNA
The challenge of providing long-term cybersecurity for
now-permanent distributed workplaces is the key priority for enterprise CISOs,
CIOs and C-suites. As they rethink their
cybersecurity architectures to enable user productivity under this new work
model over the next decade, organizations will accelerate their adoption of a
Zero Trust security approach. Zero Trust security, most recently driven as both
a strategy and a pragmatic architecture blueprint by Chase Cunningham,
aligns perfectly with digital transformation efforts underway in most
organizations. A move to this new
cloud-delivered security approach will drive increased adoption of
next-generation technologies that improve security while reducing cost and
complexity, like Remote Browser Isolation
(RBI) for securing web and email access, and Zero Trust Network Access
(ZTNA) for securing remote access applications.
5G - from hype to a true game changer for (some) businesses
The low latency, high-capacity performance of 5G networks,
combined with more than 500 million 5G-enabled end-user devices with rich
application functionality, will make 5G a true competitive differentiator for
trailblazing businesses in the 2nd half of 2021. Companies that invest in delivering excellent
user experiences on 5G networks, built on a foundation of speed, usability, and
cybersecurity, will capture market share and create significant new revenue
streams based on new business models. Of course, the permanent move to the
distributed workplace that I mentioned earlier will be a driver of accelerated
5G adoption, as well as a beneficiary of the technology. Let the 5G fun begin!
Supply Chain meets Zero Trust
The extensive coverage of the December 2020 cyberattack
exploiting the SolarWinds supply chain has moved this threat vector to the top
of CISOs' and CIOs' lists. Unfortunately, as technology advances and businesses
become increasingly interconnected, supply chain attacks will likely grow in
intensity and severity. All enterprises will continue working to better
understand their current exposure, as well as to define improved procedures to
bolster protection in the future. As a result of the attacks, some enterprises
will extend the Zero Trust concept to their technology partners and vendors,
applying deeper forensics to solution development methodologies, cloud
architectures, and other supplier processes to reduce risk for their
organizations.
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About the Author
David Canellos is a seasoned cybersecurity leader with over
two decades of experience heading early-stage, venture-backed startups,
mid-sized and large organizations, David was previously Symantec SVP of Global
Service Providers business. Earlier, he was President and CEO of Perspecsys
Inc., overseeing its acquisition by Blue Coat Systems, which was then acquired
by Symantec. David was SVP Worldwide Sales and Marketing at Irdeto division of
Naspers, which acquired Cloakware, where he was President and COO.