The security challenges rising from the rapid integration of the digital and physical in 2017 will be felt globally, according to the 2017 Cybersecurity Predictions Report released by Forcepoint.
“As these spheres become increasingly reliant on one another, their influence on not only cybersecurity but in boardrooms, across borders and in the halls of government will only expand,” says Kris Lamb, vice president of Forcepoint threat protection R&D and security labs.
“Organizations think they get inherent security just by migrating to the cloud,” said Raytheon Foreground Security Chief Strategy Officer, Josh Douglas. “But moving data off-site doesn’t absolve organizations of their responsibility to secure it and best practices still matter. The end result of a rush to cloud computing without these considerations may mean a decreased security posture for many companies in 2017.”
The Forcepoint 2017 Cybersecurity Predictions Report look at all aspects of cybersecurity, from business and individual behaviors, to the impact of larger technology trends on governance and international engagement. The following are some of this year’s predictions:
- Voice-First Artificial Intelligence (AI) Platforms and Command Sharing – “A New Level of Human and Technology Convergence”
The rise of voice-activated AI to access Web, data and apps will open up creative new attack vectors and data privacy concerns.
- Rise of the Corporate-Incentivized Insider Threat – “Corporate Abuse of PII Expands”
A new corporate-incentivized insider threat may clash with customer data, corporate profit and other performance goals, forcing businesses to re-evaluate their corporate environments and growth strategies.
- The Cloud as an Expanding Attack Vector – “The Challenge to Securing Cloud Infrastructure”
Organizations migrating their already vulnerable environments to the cloud will find limited security benefits without proper preparation as the underlying foundation that runs virtual machines may be increasingly come under attack.
- Compliance & Data Protection Convergence – “Data Protection Harmonization Becomes Law”
2017 will be the final full year before the European Union’s (EU) General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is a legal requirement. GDPR demands may drive business costs higher as new data protection controls are applied and multiple stakeholders grapple with the who, when and how of data accessibility requirements.