Industry executives and experts share their predictions for 2022. Read them in this 14th annual VMblog.com series exclusive.
Remote Work Influences the Top Cybersecurity Trends of 2022
With 2021 setting new precedence for remote and hybrid working, organizations are undertaking dramatic measures to secure the security of a dispersed workforce. With new requirements and protocols, the cybersecurity trends for 2022 explores Edge Computing for fast data access, VDI and DaaS to run and access software remotely, End-User Computing offering tools to collaborate, process and deliver results and Machine Learning / Artificial Intelligence to streamline processes and efficiency.
By Maria Shelton, Founder and CEO, Ardian Technologies Inc.
The years 2020 and 2021 were outliers for many organizations. From being unprepared to enable remote working in the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic to accelerating cloud migration and security of the remote (and hybrid) workforce, organizations and their IT teams had to undertake dramatic measures to ensure their cybersecurity.
As organizations enter the budgeting season for 2022, it is critical that CIOs take stock of their existing solutions, examine their roadmap to assess future needs. This is even more critical today as the workforce is likely to remain scattered for the foreseeable future, and organizations cannot afford to lose sight of their employee productivity, device and software vulnerability.
Cybersecurity Trends to Look Out for in 2022
Edge Computing: If cloud computing was among the biggest technology trends of the last decade, Edge Computing is about to rule the coming decade. With 5G networks being rolled out and high data usage all across the world, there is a strong desire to access and process the data quicker than what it has been so far.
Simply put, by using a distributed computing framework such as ArdianStack, enterprises can enable their applications to be closer to the required data. This way, applications can override its sole reliance on cloud processing and supplement it with local storage, processing and access. Accordingly, organizations can benefit from fewer bandwidth and latency issues that have been a concern with cloud computing so far.
The application of Edge Computing can cut across finance, supply chains, manufacturing and more industries where traditionally data is often inputted or captured at a local level and then transferred through cloud services before being churned by softwares. Edge Computing could enable the data churning & subsequently the results at local level, thus driving operational and process efficiency.
VDI and DaaS: CIOs must highly consider Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) or Desktop as a Service (DaaS) to support their now distributed workforce. As more organizations, including major Wall Street and Fortune 500 companies, further liberalize their remote and hybrid working policies, CIOs need to build secured operating environments for remote teams to collaborate and access information.
CIOs can enable a VDI framework through a secured onsite or a cloud server, which can create a virtual computer environment that allow users to run softwares remotely. Whereas in the case of DaaS, organizations can rely on third-parties to host, manage and secure VDI or related remote environments, therefore enabling their IT teams to have support rather than purely building the frameworks in-house.
End-User Computing: Related to VDI, end-user computing (EUC) enables organizations to bring applications or hosted virtual interfaces to end-users with relatively minimal technical implications. Whether it is on-site or remote, organizations need to arm their workforce with tools to collaborate, process or deliver results efficiently.
Accordingly, companies are now considering EUC approaches such as low-code or no-code development to enable their workforce to create applications and workflows through comparatively intuitive drag-and-drop mechanisms. EUC can also enable organizations to deploy tools based on the end-user’s role and responsibilities.
Machine Learning/Artificial Intelligence: Business processes are often built upon codes and algorithms. Organizations always want to further streamline and build upon their processes to drive efficiency through various stages.
Companies may have in-house teams which are constantly prodding at and deploying machine learning or artificial intelligence (ML/AI) enhancements, or relying on third-party softwares to do the same. However, these updates – both in-house or via third-party software – should not be released without testing. IT teams need to step in and enable programmers to build and test ML/AI solutions in virtual and sandboxed environments so as to observe the process and steer away from any real-time operational risks.
##
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Ardian Group, Inc. founder Maria Shelton is an expert in identity verification, security protocols, logistics, and on-site operations; she is also sought after for her project-and crisis-management skills. Maria first experienced the credentialing world in college, when she helped verify security clearances of attendees to the 1992 presidential inauguration. The post-event adrenalin rush inspired her to pursue a career in security operations focused on safeguarding organizations and people both in the U.S. and abroad.
With an entrepreneurial spirit, Maria founded Ardian Group, a division of Ardian Technologies, in 1999 after recognizing the need for a one-stop-shop that combined the resources and technology necessary to host secure events. Today, Ardian Group supports over 30 organizations including corporate, government and entertainment enterprises. In 2016 Maria set out a path to productize ArdianStack, a no-code data management platform that allows users to manage and share sensitive information and adhere to the highest cyber security protocols, including those established by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), O_ce of Management and Budget (OMB), and Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Ardian Group also provides project management assistance and on-site help at public- and private-sector engagements around the globe. Under Maria’s strategic leadership, Ardian was tapped to implement identity and security measures for the 59th Presidential Inauguration with the use of its SaaS – ArdianStack technology solutions. Ardian has been recognized by Data Magazine and various government entities for its professionalism and proven results.
Maria received her B.S. in Communications from Boston University. When not working, she enjoys spending time with her three kids and supporting causes that educate and empower women, children, and families.
