Typically, when someone in my profession talks about “security,” I mean strictly cybersecurity. Discussion of vulnerability means attack surface. Uncertainty means lack of a grasp on potential threats.
And yet, right now, it’s safe to say that notions of security, vulnerability, and uncertainty go far beyond cyber threats. After years of pandemic-induced turmoil, we’re now facing a global economic downturn, the scope of which nobody can perfectly predict. Organisations are looking for places to tighten up, to cut back, and to brace for impact.
In fact, the world is so tied up in matters of economic stability that it’s easy to put cybersecurity on the back burner. Haven’t we all dealt with enough during the rocky transition to a remote and hybrid workplace? Surely we’ve reached a point where we’ve got our feet under us when it comes to security.
Not so fast. Cybersecurity is an integral part of shoring up overall organizational security and financial stability. Cyber breaches come at an astronomical cost, and the spike in threats that we saw during the pandemic shows no signs of slowing down.
If you read no further, understand that cybersecurity is more important than ever before. It’s hardly the time to let up.
Below are more predictions for 2023 and how to leverage these insights to get ahead.
Prediction #1: Moving to the cloud will become an imperative for many.
Many leaders have been reluctant to fully embrace a move to the cloud, citing security concerns as a top barrier (along with logistical hurdles). And yet, those who have made the leap thus far report heartening results that may sway the hold-outs. According to a recent survey by Ivanti, nearly 92 percent of respondents say that their security posture is the same or better after moving to a cloud environment as opposed to before.
Cloud adoption is not only a potential boon for security, but it also may prove a smart move in the face of economic uncertainty. In 2023, cloud adoption will continue to be at the top of the list for organisations with limited internal resources and money to spend on hardware. We’ll increasingly see organisations relying on others to manage their environment and offer enhanced security positioning.
Prediction #2: Leveraging AI-powered cybersecurity solutions will become mission-critical.
Working environments are increasingly complex, as organisations navigate a combination of hybrid, on-premises, and remote work models. These complex working environments, combined with ever-increasing speed and complexity of cybersecurity threats, pose substantial risk for breaches. Without intelligent solutions, reducing the attack surface is nearly impossible.
When connecting employees to an organisation’s network, discovery will confirm they are part of the environment. However, by leveraging Artificial Intelligence organisations can more autonomously validate the employee and confirm other contextual aspects such as location or application version – freeing up the people on the IT and security team to focus on more strategic initiatives. Using an AI/machine learning model to manage access ensures employee and device identity while providing continuous device security on all managed and unmanaged assets.
Artificial Intelligence goes beyond defensiveness to proactively ensure that only the right people have access to the right information, regardless of the work model.
Trend #3: Organisations will double down on digital transformation to do more with less
With organisations operating in a time of unprecedented change, digital leaders are presented with a substantial opportunity. Digital transformation can impact not only EBITDA (Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation, and Amortization) but also performance metrics such as employee productivity, customer experience, etc. This competitive advantage over digital laggard organisations is a significant differentiator as we move out of troubled times. It will increase the gap between the digital leaders and the laggards in the market and will also ensure they attract digital talent. Technological transformations are needed, especially in the technology stack that acts as a backbone of modernisation to scale efforts as companies strive to do more with less, boost efficiency and attempt to meet sustainability objectives.
In 2023, we’ll see forward-thinking organisations invest in digital transformation not in spite of looming uncertainty, but because of it. This goes hand-in-hand with another prediction for 2023, which is that business will need to leverage technical solutions to ride out economic volatility. A potentially rightsized labor force means leaning into technology and automation.
We don’t know exactly what’s coming in 2023, but that’s exactly why it’s critical to invest in the resources and infrastructure required to operate with security and efficiency no matter the cybersecurity landscape or economic environment.
