CLOUD SECURITY FUTURE TRENDS
Cloud services continue to grow and are being adopted across all industries, and Cloud Computing continues to position itself as a multi-billion dollar business. From industries to governments moving workloads into the cloud, this trend also signals some changes in security trends. Here we discuss some of the most important ones.
Machine Learning and AI Will Play a Major Role
From data classification to malware configuration, more cloud providers continue to develop ML alternatives in order to automate security processes. While machine learning is not quite “there” yet, more companies are investing in serious machine learning development to evaluate security configurations from all possible angles.
On the other hand, as providers and companies continue to rely more and more on Artificial Intelligence in order to optimize processes, it also poses an important security threat. For example, cybercriminals are creating new generation bots that can find and exploit vulnerabilities in real-time. According to Richard Cassidy, senior director of security strategy at Exabeam, there will be a shift to a “risk context” approach, which will allow better security analytics functions.
Niche Vendors Continue to Consolidate
As cloud services become highly dynamic, and more companies are opting for multi-cloud strategies, there is an important trend that signals a demand for integrated platforms. Niche, single-function vendors will enter a whole new scenario in which their services become more visible and necessary than ever.
There Will be a Significant Growth in Threats
Vulnerability management will become one of the most important issues that providers need to address. Issues like ransomware continue to hit public and private clouds. Cyber-criminals are opting for what’s known as an APT or long-term approach that seeks to learn the system and its safeguards. Companies will need to leverage solutions such as hyper-convergence and edge computing which allow them to deploy better backup, cyber-defenses and disaster recovery. Companies will also need to make significant investments in training, consulting, and software defenses.
Mobility and the use of Personal Devices for Work
An emerging trend, known as BYOD (bring your own device) allows for greater flexibility and an important productivity increase. Employees are no longer tied to their offices, nor they require to login to their desktop computers. This is all made possible by a broader adoption of cloud services. But it also poses new threats.
People will be accessing sensitive data on devices they also use for personal purposes, and which host a wide variety of unsecured apps. Eric Williams, CEO of Ijura explains that personal-use apps such as those used for social networking are serious exposure points. This means that companies will need to make important investments in mobile security, defense solution, and threat mitigation.
A “Shared Responsibility” Approach
Cloud computing has changed data management in a lot of ways, but a really important trend is the recognition of shared problems and the need to develop common solutions. This means developing practices, policies, and strategies that ensure data protection. Cloud computing will not only change the IT landscape for businesses; it will change businesses as a whole. Arguments will need to change from the old “on-site or off-site” political discussions to make way for more important questions around data protection and cyber-security.