Developments Shaping the Future of Cybersecurity

Those that are adapting are finding new ways to implement technology like AI and machine learning to bolster defenses, others are scrambling to find talent and update old systems that have left them vulnerable.

What is the Future of Cybersecurity?

AI Becoming a Foundational Part of Cybersecurity Strategy

2021 was a big year for artificial intelligence (AI), which became an important part of the technology systems of businesses of all sizes and in all industries to automate tasks, analyze data, and make simple decisions.

In cybersecurity, AI and machine learning are being used to bolster cybersecurity monitoring.

AI in cybersecurity can analyze more data than humans ever could, meaning it can use that data to quickly recognize trends in network usage to spot strange behavior that could be the result of a breach.

AI learns from past breaches, receives updates, and can adapt to common attack strategies to detect risks and cover vulnerabilities.

One of the biggest industries seeing a rise in the need for AI in cybersecurity is in manufacturing and securing industrial internet of things (IIoT) devices, which are often left unsecured by organizations today.

AI and machine learning are significant in that they can be leveraged through technology to assess the behavior of hundreds of devices at any given time—meaning it’s a lot easier for companies to keep track of their endpoints and ensure they are not under threat.

AI can use its ability to identify patterns to ensure everything is working as expected and to quickly pick out irregularities in the entire IIoT system, warning businesses of any potential threats, suspicious traffic, or abnormal user behavior.

In future, AI will likely be implemented even further into every business’ cybersecurity strategy to further help workers avoid cyberattacks by warning them about risky websites, weak passwords, or poor security practices being performed—all determined through analysis of malicious behavior and AI’s ability to spot trends that suggest suspicion.

Additionally, these programs may be able to launch faux attacks to test network security, reveal vulnerabilities, and adapt strategies to match current trends—all aspects of penetration testing that cybersecurity professionals perform to determine the strength of a company’s cybersecurity profile.

Cybersecurity Talent Shortage

Cybersecurity is a fast-growing industry and cyberattacks are becoming more frequent every year. With businesses suddenly putting such a large emphasis on developing their cybersecurity strategies, a big strain has been put on the health of the industry’s workforce which is causing labor shortages and general lack of available talent.

Building out a cybersecurity team right now is expensive, time consuming, and difficult to maintain.

The demand for cybersecurity talent is estimated to create 3.5 million unfilled positions and only go up from there.

This shortage can lead to security issues for businesses who are struggling to staff their internal teams on top of balancing continued education, burnout from overwork, and the rising number of attacks.

The future does look brighter, though, with more universities and schools offering entire degrees in cybersecurity as well as shorter training courses and certifications to help educate more people in the industry.

It’s estimated to see a 700,000 person increase in cybersecurity professions, still not enough to fill open spots but an increase nonetheless.

What this will mean in future is a buyer’s market for security pros—businesses are having to pay more and more for internal teams to the point where it’s quickly becoming exorbitant.

As a result, many organizations today opt instead to seek security services from third parties.

Partnering with Managed Security Service Providers

One choice businesses have is to partner with a managed security service provider (MSSP) that provides comprehensive cybersecurity services to businesses.

MSSPs maintain their own large team of cybersecurity experts and generally have all the tools, equipment, software, and expertise needed to develop and implement effective security strategies for businesses of all sizes.

Moving Past Legacy Systems

One of the biggest cybersecurity risks for businesses today is the belief that older legacy systems will be enough to defend them from modern cyberattacks.

Whether it’s to save money or it’s a true belief that these outdated systems are good enough, relying on a legacy system puts your entire network in danger because they are no longer equipped to handle what modern attacks can throw at them.

Reliance on legacy systems has opened up a cybersecurity gap in businesses between what they’re able to defend and what hackers are able to breach.

To close that gap, businesses need to make sweeping evaluations of their security infrastructure, including a risk assessment which shows where their biggest vulnerabilities are and how at-risk their current systems make them. This also includes revamping password creation and management, employee training, and having a recovery plan in place post-breach.

How Can Businesses Prepare?

Much of the necessary preparation businesses can make involves examining and assessing the current state of their cybersecurity systems. You need to find answers to questions like:

• Where are you most vulnerable?
• Are your systems too old and outdated?
• Can you repel what modern hackers can throw at you and are you prepared for the moment when they strike?

If you have doubts about your business’ cybersecurity strategy and want to learn more about pursuing more modern solutions, contact DOT Security today to discuss how a risk assessment can help you understand your vulnerabilities and prepare for a more secure future.