This is part 2 of the 2021 Technology Outlook Webinar recap. To read part 1 on Technology Infrastructure, click here.
Since the COVID-19 pandemic, much has changed about the way we do business. One thing that has stayed constant are the many cyber threats that attempt to infiltrate organizations daily. Read Director of Security Scott Logan’s 2021 cybersecurity predictions and recommendations below.
Social Awareness
Logan explained that employee cybersecurity training is a vital part of your cybersecurity framework for the coming year. “It doesn’t matter how strong your firewalls are…how your intrusion detection is working,” Logan said. “[users] are already inside your network, and if they make a mistake they can cripple your network quickly.” He went on to say that it is important to not only ensure employees understand how to recognize different methods of breach attempts, such as a phishing email, but testing them on their knowledge as well. Continuous testing so that you know your employees can recognize threats is the best practice for social awareness training.
Related: What are the Best Employee Cybersecurity Training Methods?
Ways to Protect Your Organization in 2021
Managed Detection and Response (MDR) – Logan explained that MDR is a tool more and more organizations can and should leverage going forward. Logan broke down the three elements within MDR. Managed , he explained, is monitoring every single asset in your network. Detection means the ability to recognize weaknesses within your infrastructure, from perimeter to firewall to endpoints. Response is the actionable aspect of the tool, allowing you to mitigate any threats.
SOC-As-a-Service – Logan explained that a lot of businesses simply cannot afford to have security professionals on staff, and have their IT director manage security, which puts too much on their plate. Leveraging security professionals through SOC-As-a-Service program to evaluate your infrastructure gives you access to experts that can help you elevate your security practice.
Related: MDR: What It Is And What It Isn’t? & What Is SOC-As-a-Service?
2021 Cybersecurity Predictions
For any organization that has compliance regulations, Logan explained that keeping on top of new requirements will be important for the coming year. Aligning to a cybersecurity framework, such as the NIST framework, will help organizations in verticals with compliance, but frameworks are essential for any organization regardless of compliance, as they help an organization to strategize their cybersecurity.
Remote work security is also a large challenge for the coming year and the future. Employees working from home are not only more relaxed, but often connected to less secure Wi-Fi and routing into your organization's network through a VPN. These are all avenues hackers can attempt to take advantage of in order to infiltrate your business, so it is essential to increase security measures around remote work for 2021 and beyond.
Related: On-Demand Webinar: Remote Work Security
Staying diligent and having dedicated tools and resources for your security measures will be essential for 2021 cybersecurity. Although it can seem like a lot to manage, having properly trained security professionals, the right tools like MDR, and the right planning around cybersecurity will help you to be as prepared as possible against cyber threats. Although Logan does not know what new breaches will be in store for this year, 2021 cybersecurity predictions show that continued diligence and resource leverage will be effective no matter the future threats.
