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Embracing a Comprehensive Approach to Cybersecurity Trends

By BitTitan / 2023-11-11 / Topics : CybersecurityTrends , HumanCentricSecurity , CloudSecurity

Revolutionizing Cybersecurity: A Comprehensive Approach to Emerging Threats

In recent news, Chinese cyberspies exploited a critical gap in Microsoft's cloud, infiltrating email accounts at the Commerce and State departments. The Washington Post reported that these hackers had access for about a month before being discovered and cut off. This incident serves as a stark reminder of the constant need for vigilance in the face of evolving cyber threats. No matter how secure you think you are, there is always room for improvement.

The landscape of cybersecurity threats is ever-changing, with malicious actors persistently seeking to exploit network vulnerabilities. In response, defenses are adapting, incorporating new practices, tools, infrastructure designs, and a deeper understanding of human behavior. Gartner recently outlined the top trends in cybersecurity, highlighting three overarching themes: the crucial role of people in security programs, the need to implement security capabilities across the entire digital ecosystem, and a restructuring of security functions for enhanced agility without compromising security.

One key insight tying these trends together is the need to address the imbalance in attention paid to the three pillars of cybersecurity controls: people, process, and technology. While technology has traditionally borne the brunt of this focus, there is a growing acknowledgment that people play a pivotal role in shaping security and risk outcomes. It's essential for individuals throughout organizations to be aware and actively engaged in cybersecurity measures.

The Human Element in Cybersecurity

Recent data underscores the vulnerability of individual users as a prime target for cyber threats. Gartner found that 69% of surveyed employees intentionally bypassed their organization's cybersecurity guidance in a 12-month period, despite being aware that their actions increased risk levels. To counteract these tendencies, cybersecurity teams are reassessing controls to reduce friction and designing more human-centric solutions. Collaboration with security staff is fostering empathy-driven, outcomes-focused user experiences.

Recognizing the ongoing talent shortage, cybersecurity leaders are prioritizing the attraction, retention, and upskilling of their teams. Partnerships with HR are instrumental in differentiating the employee experience, increasing engagement, diversifying teams, and providing clear paths for development.

Involving Leadership and Securing the Entire Ecosystem

The human element in cybersecurity extends to leadership, reaching all the way to the boardroom. A 2022 Gartner survey revealed that only half of corporate boards have individuals with cybersecurity knowledge or experience. To bridge this gap, reporting needs to align with the level of technical expertise present, focusing on risk management and business outcomes to help board members make informed decisions.

As organizations fortify their security protocols, it's evident that real protection extends beyond the immediate environment. Threats from external sources, such as supply chains, must be considered in the overall risk management strategy. Continuous threat exposure management (CTEM) is emerging as a practice to systematically optimize cybersecurity priorities, moving from reactive diagnosis to proactive exposure assessment. This includes assessing vulnerabilities in vendors and the supply chain to fortify the organization's overall resilience.

Restructuring for Agility in Cybersecurity

The third major trend identified by Gartner involves restructuring approaches that balance agility with security. This includes cybersecurity platform consolidation, transformation of the operating model, and composable security. Organizations are consolidating security vendors to reduce complexity and increase staff efficiency, allowing for better integration and access to more features with fewer products. However, it's crucial to be mindful of potential risks, including higher pricing, associated with consolidation.

The transformation of the cybersecurity operating model is being driven by the decentralization of IT decision-making. With technology reaching every corner of organizations, cybersecurity teams must shift their mindset to support, rather than resist, decentralized decision-making. Providing decision-makers with the right tools to understand cybersecurity and the various risks they balance is paramount.

Composable security takes an approach where cybersecurity controls are integrated into the architecture and applied at a modular level, allowing for more responsiveness to the accelerating pace of business change.

Migrating to the Security of the Cloud

While the work of a cybersecurity team is never truly done, it has evolved beyond mere monitoring and patching. As these trends illustrate, risk identification, security management, and resilience are enhanced by addressing the interplay of people, processes, and technology.

BitTitan offers solutions to help organizations securely and efficiently move all types of data, providing cybersecurity teams with the assurance that their infrastructure is protected by the security of the cloud. Contact us to explore the benefits of using MigrationWiz for your next migration.

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