Cybersecurity trends in 2021

Cybersecurity trends in 2021
This blog has been updated. Read the latest version here: 5 Business cybersecurity predictions for 2022

The year 2020 was an unprecedented one due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Many businesses in Southern California and around the globe had to stop operations, while others were forced to shift to a work from home setup. Remote work soon became the norm, and houses were turned into makeshift offices so that businesses could continue their operations.

However, employees were connecting to corporate networks using unsecured personal devices to access sensitive data, which can be easily exploited by cybercriminals. This posed a huge security threat to businesses, and IT staff and managed IT services providers (MSPs) had to rethink their cybersecurity strategies to be able to support a remote workforce.

With remote work continuing well into 2021, keeping employees safe from cyberthreats will be a major focus for business owners. Here are some cybersecurity trends that will emerge in 2021.

Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) architecture
The COVID-19 pandemic strengthened work from home culture and increased online collaboration and cloud adoption, which will continue to grow in 2021. To ensure the security of remote workers, many organizations are moving away from traditional local area network- (LAN) based security models to cloud-based ones like SASE. SASE technology protects cloud applications and employees by routing network traffic through a cloud-based security stack. According to Gartner, an estimated 40% of organizations will adopt strict policies for implementing SASE by 2024.

Zero-trust network access (ZTNA)
In the past, remote workers relied on a virtual private network (VPN) to access corporate resources. But when the COVID-19 pandemic necessitated the shift to remote working, VPNs quickly became inadequate.

A more secure option for businesses came in the form of ZTNA. ZTNA is a security architecture that provides controlled access to your company's resources, thus reducing the risk of an attack. Gartner predicts that by 2023, 60% of businesses will be using ZTNA instead of remote-access VPNs.

Artificial intelligence (AI) in cybersecurity
Cyberattacks will continue to evolve along with the latest technological innovations. AI and machine learning (ML) can help IT security experts stay one step ahead by evaluating large amounts of risk data gathered from structured and unstructured resources. AI-driven cybersecurity systems can then provide accurate threat intelligence that will allow your IT team or MSP to immediately respond to a specific threat. AI is also being used to develop cybersecurity systems that can automatically evolve into new types of cyberattacks.

Extended detection and response (XDR) systems
With the proliferation of COVID-19-related data breaches in 2020, business owners and security experts need better visibility into company and customer information across networks, endpoints, servers, emails, and applications. This can be achieved by leveraging XDR systems. XDR security systems automatically collect data from various endpoints to detect potential cybersecurity threats. Because of its proactive threat detection and response capabilities, XDR systems are expected to quickly make their way into business networks in 2021.

Enhanced cybersecurity in healthcare
It's been more than three years since healthcare facilities were hit by the WannaCry ransomware, but this malware shows no signs of slowing down. According to security solutions company Armis, 40% of healthcare organizations were hit by a WannaCry attack in the past six months. However, medical facilities are stepping up their efforts and putting in more resources to improve their cyber defenses, focusing specifically on:

  • Lack of cybersecurity awareness
  • Poor cybersecurity policies for Internet of Things (IoT) devices
  • Risks that come with digitalization

Cyber insurance
As cyberattacks continue to increase, cyber insurance policies will play a vital role in mitigating the financial risks your business could suffer in the event of a cyberattack. Some organizations in the United States have started buying some form of cyber insurance, and that trend is expected to rise this year.

As new cybersecurity trends emerge, SMBs must choose proactive rather than reactive cybersecurity policies to keep their network secure. This is why you should partner with a reliable MSP like Complete Document Solutions. We offer cybersecurity and network security solutions that will protect your company from breaches and downtime. To learn more about our wide range of IT support services, give us a call today.

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