Throughout 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic created something of a new playground for hackers. In response, many institutions fortified cybersecurity systems and fast-tracked digital transformation initiatives. But what does the landscape for cybersecurity and the evolution of threats look like in 2021?
We don’t have a crystal ball, but here are five cybersecurity trends to watch out for in the new year.
Now more than ever, K-12 leaders are faced with the need to implement security solutions and strategies that adequately protect students, staff and visitors from potential threats. Growing incidents, such as school shootings, unauthorized visitors and disease transmission, can put occupants in harm’s way, making security a persistent need. Schools now have the opportunity to use and expand on existing building technologies to address evolving needs while providing greater protection and peace of mind.
For years, there has been optimistic talk that drones – the popular name for UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles) – would become ubiquitous and used for security purposes. And now, it’s happening. The drone-industry is becoming an increasingly promising technology-intensive industry, one that will employ far more workers than it does today while enhancing the efficiency and security of a variety of businesses.
Earlier this year, an investigation team hijacked thousands of printers all over the world to show just how vulnerable these devices can be if left unprotected. Too many organizations and individuals do not properly address them when discussing security strategies, physical or cyber, but if left unsecured, these devices can be real vulnerabilities.
If an armed assailant started shooting in your facility, could you, your employees and your organization survive? If your answer is "I have no idea," now's the time to take a proactive approach to preventing violence.
From introducing contactless payment options to offering new virtual services, small businesses moved swiftly to expand their offerings and digital capabilities in light of social distancing guidelines. In the midst of these changes, however, it’s critical for small businesses and restaurants to make sure they’re guarding against potential cyber threats. Here are key steps they can take to help ensure that they stay protected.
How do we respond to this increased focus on security? One option would be to simply increase the security standards being enforced. Unfortunately, it’s unlikely that this would create substantial improvements. Instead, we should be talking about restructuring security policies. In this post, we’ll examine how security standards look today and 5 ways they can be dramatically improved with new approaches and tooling.
A company’s in-house chief information security officer (CISO) is a key component to making sure the risk of a cyberattack or security breach is greatly reduced. The responsibilities of this position are critical for businesses working to protect themselves against cyberthreats, but the reality is, some companies can’t afford to add another member to the c-suite with an average salary of up to $250K. However, there’s another option: a virtual CISO or vCISO.
While the rough seas may be behind businesses, now is not the time to rest. It’s important for security leaders to remain diligent about their company’s security posture and adapt to the latest state of the world. Focusing on people, processes, and technology is not only the foundation to a solid cybersecurity strategy, but also absolutely critical at a time where workers have never been further from security teams’ protection.
Is your company’s cybersecurity policy as effective as it should be amid these tumultuous times? And if you’re not an employee but the owner of a small business – typically someone with much less sophisticated cybersecurity protection – how does your online security stack up? The answer: Cybersecurity has improved, but markedly more has to be done to secure networks in 2021, the second year of the pandemic, as the number of cyberattacks has become staggering.