Industry executives and experts share their predictions for 2025. Read them in this 17th annual VMblog.com series exclusive. By Joris Van De Vis, SecurityBridge
What lies ahead in compliance, technology, and security in 2025?
What are the opportunities and challenges? What significant developments will
shape the coming year? From regulations to Artificial Intelligence (AI) to
platform adoption, we'll look at what's coming and explain how to prepare for
the coming year.
Intensifying Compliance
and Regulatory Pressures
Regulation will be a central concern in 2025. Stricter
compliance standards across industries are assured. Governments in the EU and
the United States have each indicated more stringent enforcement measures. As a
result, businesses of all sizes will need to reevaluate their operational
practices to prepare for the upcoming scrutiny.
Governments will focus on regulations that strengthen
transparency, data protection, and ethical practices, which means that large
and small organizations will need robust compliance mechanisms. The risks of
fines, reputational damage, and operational disruption are too significant to
overlook. Tools that simplify the complex compliance processes, ensure
transparency, and offer real-time monitoring will be crucial.
The Growing Role of AI:
Friend and Foe
As AI advances, both efficiency and security will see
advancements in 2025. With the promise of reduced errors, streamlined
processes, and optimized performance, organizations are increasingly adopting
AI-driven solutions. Due to its intuitive and reliable characteristics, AI
promises to improve the functionality of tools and platforms.
However, the ubiquitous use of AI has ushered in an unfortunate
side effect -- malicious actors leverage AI to breach IT security. With AI
capabilities, these criminals can reverse-engineer a system's security
vulnerabilities at an unprecedented pace, allowing the hackers to exploit
weaknesses faster and more effectively. Threats of this nature require
businesses to invest in AI-driven defenses that anticipate and neutralize
emerging threats while defending their AI tools from tampering. This kind of robust
cybersecurity measure will be needed in the coming year.
The Shift Toward
Platform Solutions
The tech stack will require a different approach in 2025. Many
businesses still rely on various point solutions to address specific needs.
Though adequate, these tools lack the interoperability and scalability to
handle the complex challenges that define business operations today.
Most organizations opt for integrated platform solutions
that offer a unified approach to problem-solving. Adopting a comprehensive,
scalable platform capable of consolidating functionalities can benefit
businesses with efficiency, cost-effectiveness, and reduced complexity. As more
companies move away from point solutions, there will be a demand for solutions
that provide seamless integration and a broad range of capabilities.
The Push for S/4HANA
and RISE with SAP Conversions
A particular trend for ERP in 2025 is the transition to S/4HANA
and SAP's RISE. This modernization is driven by the need to remain competitive
and agile. These conversions improve efficiency and scalability, but they also
present security challenges.
Given this expected business-wide ERP transition, effective
security measures must address all known vulnerabilities associated with
S/4HANA and RISE conversions. Compliance within these frameworks will create
smooth transitions in the coming year.
Preparing for the
Future
Any successful business embodies the traits of being proactive
and adaptive. For 2025, the trends mentioned above are wise to keep in mind.
Regulation will require firms to emphasize transparency and accountability. AI
is welcome, but its shadowy side, where the hackers reside, is not welcome. Any
call for AI advancements must consider the need to mitigate its risks. The
choice of platform solutions and modern ERP systems proves the need for
scalability and integration.
These trends and predictions call on those who enter 2025 to be
innovative and vigilant. Comprehensive solutions that address compliance,
responsibly leverage AI, and offer robust security measures will give
organizations that adopt them an advantage. Preparing today for what will come
tomorrow is how any successful business operates. And here's a Cheer to
that!
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Joris
Van De Vis is a seasoned SAP security specialist with a rich entrepreneurial
background dedicated to advancing SAP security solutions and helping
organizations stay secure in today's challenging cybersecurity landscape.
Before joining SecurityBridge as
Director of Security Research, Joris co-founded Protect4S, which became part of
SecurityBridge in September 2023. He was previously a SAP technology and
cybersecurity specialist at Deloitte and contributed to the security of vital
systems as a SAP technology and platform security specialist at the Ministry of
Defence. Most notably, in the past 15 years, Joris found and reported over a
100 zero day vulnerabilities in SAP software. Joris is a sought-after speaker
at international security conferences, government events, and corporate
gatherings. He holds a patent in Enterprise Automation System Vulnerability
Assessment.