Mobile and Desktop revolution has given us an easy life, but it has also filled our life with fear of unwanted threats and attacks. A person who is involved in cyber security or knows little about cyber security, have knowledge about unsecured cyber world, because of evolving sophisticated attack techniques. Organizations and individuals are wandering aimlessly to find the one stop solution for unwanted cyber attack. What is the permanent solution of such cyber threats? It is question in every body’s mindset. In this piece of information, we have tried to bring the most potential cyber security trends to notice for the year of 2015, which will help organization to build a secure environment to fight against cyber crime.
#1 Regulatory and Compliance:
Different sectors including banking, government, Oil & Gas, retail, and infrastructure have to mull over security compliance and regulatory requirements for preserving a strong pioneer in their organization. There are few standards to keep security of sensitive information like ISO 27000, ISO 27001, HIPAA, FISMA, PCIDSS. Even many countries have joined hand together to fight against cyber crime. These countries are building regulation that compels organization to take safety precautions for utilization of PII (Personally Identifiable Information). Even, most countries are also in favor to impose penalty against data loss or data breach. This will help organizations to mitigate privacy breaches and reduce business costs involved in brand damage, loss of customers. The Governments from most countries are also in favor to impose penalty against data loss or data breach.
#2 Third Party Risk Involvement:
Third party vendors play a vital role in deciding security aspect. There should be security provisions to make contract with external vendors. Cyber security standards for the organizations should be in parallel with the third party vendor security agreements. Third party service or product should have in-built security, and it must be flexible for testing, and updates, as they are open to numerous attacks. Information sharing with third party causes loss of direct control that data may at risks. If security experts do neglect third party, then they will bear a risks from targeted attack that will result in lack of data privacy and integrity. Security experts in organization should work intimately with service contractors, professional service suppliers, lawyers, accountants to perform systematic care on potential arrangements.
#3 BYOD Trend:
BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) is becoming a trend in many organizations as the trend seems continue to grow in future. At workplace employees bring mobile devices, applications, and store information in the cloud. SMBs are seeing BYOD model as an information security risk, if not taken care properly. Such personal devices need attention of organizations and should have BYOD guidelines and regulations. The risk associated with such devices can put company’s brand image in danger and cause threat either internally or externally to company’s sensitive information. Device mismanagement, software vulnerabilities, and poorly tested business applications; these risk are associated with BYOD. To manage BYOD, organizations have to roll out suitable policy that defines the usage behavior of personal device at workplace. As a result, it will help to mitigate the risks.
#4 Risk Based Security Behavior:
Organization should insist on risk based security behavior instead of only conducting employee awareness program. Organizations should focus on changing behavior of employees and make them aware about their responsibilities to evaluate their actions. It will transform them into a strongest link in organization’s chain and make them guardians of organization’s security stance. Organizations must embed positive security approach in employees that will build Do’s and Don’ts behavior in them. It will help them to understand the organization security culture properly.
#5 Growing Mobile Malware:
With the growing use of Smartphone and tablet, mobile malware is also growing concern for enterprises. Hackers are now targeting mobile user instead traditional desktop users. It becomes a huge anxiety for enterprises as they are adopting BYOD concept at their workplace. Here, the role of BYOD policy comes into exist, which gives an assurance of mitigating cyber risk. As per the survey of 2014 done by Fortinet, Android was dominating platform in the pervasion of mobile malware.
Conclusion:
To combat against developing hacking techniques, security professionals have to think over the above security trends in their practice. In the upcoming year, organizations should have to prepare themselves to fight against potential threats and IT security issues and for that, a well-planned cyber security strategy is essential. Traditional security practices have limited scope to identify and mitigate the risks therefore; modern security concept should be considered to keep pace with the new and enhancing threats.
