Disruption is an opportunity for improving security

The pandemic has been a challenge from security perspective, but it can also be viewed as an opportunity to review your best practices, your cybersecurity tools, and the role of a managed service provider.

The move to remote work two years ago was quite sudden, and left many organizations caught off-guard. If they were in the process to moving to more cloud-based services, the pandemic accelerated that migration. It also brough to light security challenges that could not be ignored because the number of endpoints suddenly grew exponentially with the bulk of their employees working from home.

As Dell’Oro Group Mauricio Sanchez recently pointed out in a blog post about the top five demands and challenges faced by CISOs, the massive disruption of pandemic compounded the rate of technology and threat change, and provided an impetus for looking at security problems in new ways and drove investment that would not have been possible in a non-pandemic environment.

While small and medium-sized businesses rarely have a C-level executive in charge of security or even a CIO, there are lessons they can take from observing the cybersecurity trends affecting large enterprises.

Relationships matter

Sanchez notes that the security vendor landscape is highly fragmented, so if a CISO is trying to sort through many options, don’t feel bad as an SMB if you’re feeling a little lost about what to implement and who to work with.

It’s important not to be tempted by new and shiny security products simply because they are new and shiny. The products and services you choose should be guided by an understanding of what needs to be protected in your organization, both on-premises and through your distributed workforce. Vendors do have a role in helping you secure your organization by developing security controls and technologies that will benefit you, but bi-directional communication essential.

For smaller organizations, it’s often best to engage with a managed service provider who can keep abreast of the rapidly evolving landscape of threats and available cybersecurity products. They can help navigate the options, evaluate your current security posture, and implement and manage what works best depending on the nature of your business.

Consider Zero Trust, but remember it’s a strategy, not a product

The shift to remote work has given Zero Trust increased traction, but whether you’re a big enterprise with a CISO or a smaller organization with limited IT resources, don’t confuse tactics and strategy.

As Dell’Oro’s Sanchez notes, Zero Trust is a valuable strategy but it’s not a product you can buy. Having a coherent strategy and understanding what needs protected will help you avoid wasting your IT budget on products do very little to improve security. Simply buying “zero trust” product could create a false sense of security, he says, and ultimately lead to your business being compromised.

Even if you’re confident that they are the right fit for your organization, buying the latest and greatest security solutions only go so far if you don’t have a firm handle on the fundamentals. A managed service provider with security expertise can help you best understand how a Zero Trust strategy can be implemented, and what tools you need to support it.

There are many ways artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning already impact cybersecurity. You can expect that trend to continue in 2024 – both as tools for data protection as well as a threat.

Balancing Cybersecurity Innovation Amid Evolving Threat Landscapes

Even as you implement AI and machine learning into your cybersecurity strategy through the adoption of tools like Security Orchestration, Automation, and Response (SOAR), Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) and Managed Detection and Response (MDR), so are threat actors. They will continue to update and evolve their own methodologies and tools to compromise their targets by applying AI and machine learning to how they use ransomware, malware and deepfakes.

With small and medium-sized businesses just much at risk as their large enterprise counterparts, SMBs must take advantage of AI and machine learning as mush possible. AI-directed attacks are expected to rise in 2024 in the form of deepfake technologies that make phishing and impersonation more effective, as well as evolving ransomware and malware.

Deepfake social engineering techniques

Deepfake technologies that leverage AI are especially worrisome, as they can create fake content that spurs employees and organizations to work against their best interests. Hackers can use deepfakes to create massive changes with serious financial consequences, including altering stock prices.

Deepfake social engineering techniques will only improve with the use of AI, increasing the likelihood of data breaches through unauthorized access to systems and more authentic looking phishing messages that are more personalized, and hence, more effective.

Countering Cyber Threats and Harnessing Innovation in 2024

If hackers are keen on leveraging AI and machine learning to defeat your cybersecurity, you must be ready to combat them in equal measure – just as AI and machine learning will create new challenges in 2024, they can also help you bolster your cybersecurity. While regulations are being developed to foster ethical use of AI, threat actors are not likely to follow them.

AI will also affect your cyber insurance as your providers will use it to assess your resilience against cyberattacks and adjust your premium payments accordingly. AI presents an opportunity for you to improve your cybersecurity to keep those insurance costs under control.

Conclusion

There’s a lot of doom being predicted around the growing use of AI and machine learning. And while it does pose a risk to your organization and its sensitive data, you can use it to bolster your cybersecurity even as threat actors leverage AI to up the ante. A managed service provider with a focus on security can help you use AI and machine learning to protect your organization as we head into 2024.

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