Interviews

Enterprise IT trends

by Mark Rowe

Are you ready for 2017?‎ asks Joe Siegrist, pictured, VP and GM at password management product company LastPass.

News of security breaches hardly left the headlines last year. It might not come as surprise to know that personal data from 2.7 billion user accounts were left open to potential hackers. While major names such as Yahoo, MySpace and LinkedIn have not been immune, businesses of all sizes will have to up their security game in 2017 to keep data secure. In light of this, we’ve put together the key trends which will define attitudes towards security in 2017.

1) Offensive cyber security strategies from governments and business

The government and enterprises will increase their efforts to enhance cyber security and combat cybercrime. As users become more aware of online threats, attackers will react by developing sophisticated, personalised schemes to target individuals and corporations. We can expect to see continued dialog on the national level as well as legislation to create a global cyber defense model. We can also expect to see regulation of device production and usage, and the increasing addition of cyber security officers within enterprises. Governments and corporations that do not prioritise security will find themselves unprepared in the face of increasing threats, and citizens will suffer as a result.

2) Wearable devices will become a bigger target for hackers

Wearables present a great way to motivate people to interact more with the world, but they also pose a growing security risk. ABI Research predicts an estimated 780 million wearable devices will be in use by 2019 – that’s about one wearable for every ten people in the world. Wearables, especially in densely populated areas, will become a target-rich environment for attacks because they collect personal data and are relatively insecure entry points, with few vendors building even standard security features to protect user privacy. Companies must begin building these devices from the ground up with security in mind, rather than it being an afterthought. Plus, many enterprises are just now implementing mobile strategies and policies – and wearables must be a part of that decision.

3) Small businesses who believe in “security through obscurity” will not survive

Large corporation security breaches garner the most attention, however small businesses will be just as much of a target to hackers next year, if not more so. It’s no longer safe to think a business will not be hacked because it is not well known. A smaller business can find it harder than large companies to repair the damage if their data is compromised. Furthermore, financial repercussions will often hit them harder. The latest Government Security Breaches Survey found that over half (51pc) of medium-sized organisations reported a security breach in the last year; an increase on previous years. SMEs are now being pinpointed by digital attackers. The same survey found that only 22pc of small and 38pc of medium businesses have trained their staff in the past 12 months. As a result of this we’ll likely see an increase before we see a decrease in cyber-attacks. It’s in SMEs’ best interest to invest in cyber security trainings, particularly around the dangers of re-using passwords across accounts and how to spot phishing attempts.

To stay ahead, businesses must invest in tools that align with the realities and working styles of the modern worker and work environment. They must implement systems that provide secure, user-friendly authentication, using providers that specialise in providing security for today’s workforce. The use of a password manager that’s designed for small teams of people, such as LastPass Teams, is a great way to begin protecting your company and its future.

4) Password management will become the norm

2017 will see a shift towards mass adoption of password managers as more people become concerned with protecting their data. Eliminating password reuse and weak passwords is a must. People will look towards password managers to store and encrypt their passwords so they don’t need to rely on their brains or worry about breaking the bank. There’s no doubt that businesses and consumers will continue to suffer from escalating breaches across all industries in 2017. With companies moving to cloud services to share and host information, anyone in the business of handling consumer or corporate data must harden their systems against data breaches. Businesses must make the safe storage of consumer records a priority, employing best practices in encrypting and hashing consumer records. Those who do not will not only suffer financial losses but will struggle with the impact on reputation and brand.

5) More universal adoption of two-factor authentication

The tech industry needs to win back the trust of its consumers by rethinking some of its most established practices around security, identity, and access management. Two-factor authentication (2FA) is one of the most straightforward and secure forms of safety measures currently available, and 2016 has seen an increase in user-friendly, portable options that general consumers can take advantage of. It adds an extra step to your basic log-in procedure to make it more secure. 2FA protects user credentials from password guessing software, eliminates the collateral damage from successful phishing attempts, and adds protection for consumers.

We expect to see more organisations implementing 2FA and managing their 2FA centrally as part of their dedicated security policies, as well as more consumers adopting 2FA for the services and websites they rely on.

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