EDITOR ’ S QUESTION
HOW CAN IT LEADERS ENSURE BETTER VISIBILITY OVER CLOUD ACCESS IN THE WORKPLACE ?
Remote work will catalyze a shift from the corporate perimeter concept to micro-office security certification . Outsourcing of IT and cybersecurity functions will be crucial to solve expertise shortages and save budgets . To co-ordinate managed service providers along with using multiple cloud services , cloud security and management skills will become a ‘ must-have ’.
These and other cybersecurity challenges and trends will be among those that businesses will have to manage this year , according to a new Kaspersky report .
A shift to remote work , financial constraints due to economic recession and the growth of cyberthreats due to the global pandemic will affect the day to day role of cybersecurity professionals in 2021 .
Understanding the challenges but also perceiving opportunities in IT and IT security management is key for companies to maintain their protection . The recent Kaspersky report , Plugging the Gaps : 2021 Corporate IT Security Predictions suggests advice for each role related to cybersecurity , including CEOs or business owners , CISOs , SOC team leads and IT managers .
Here are some of the main trends to monitor :
• Protecting the perimeter is no longer enough – home office assessment and certification will be needed . There should be tools to scan the level of security in a workplace – from the presence of software vulnerabilities to connecting to an unreliable or unprotected Wi-Fi hotspot . It will also require wider adoption of VPN , privileged access management , multifactor authentication systems , the implementation of stricter monitoring and the updating of existing contingency and emergency plans .
• Transition to a service model will enable required levels of IT and IT security with lower investments . According to Kaspersky ’ s survey , many businesses are planning to use a managed service provider ( MSP ) or managed security service provider ( MSSP ) in the next 12 months . This is for good reason as the service model helps to minimize capital investments and transition business costs from CAPEX to OPEX .
• Training for internal IT security specialists should incorporate management skills . Cybersecurity professions split into very narrow specializations , meaning that hiring staff for each specific role may be too expensive . This is where outsourcing can help plug the gap . However , businesses that outsource key cybersecurity components still need to focus on developing management skills for their in-house teams to handle those outsourced functions .
• There will be an increased reliance on cloud services , making dedicated management and protection measures necessary . The survey showed that in 2020 , a significant number of employees used non-corporate software and cloud services such as social networks , messengers or other applications . This is unlikely to change when staff return to the office . To ensure that any corporate data is kept under control , better visibility over cloud access will be necessary . IT security managers will need to align themselves with this cloud paradigm and develop skills for cloud management and protection .
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