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JOHN MCLOUGHLIN,
MANAGING DIRECTOR,
J2 SOFTWARE
V
isibility, user-centricity and crypto
currencies will be the top of mind
security focus areas in 2018, as
information security faces the need to evolve
rapidly to meet a world of new challenges.
The cybersecurity arena has changed
markedly in the space of little over a year;
and there is every reason to believe this
pace of change will continue to escalate.
The world is witnessing a proliferation of
global malware and other cyberattacks,
with the number of breaches escalating
and money flowing out of the door. On top
of this, the massive growth in the value of
crypto currencies is creating new areas of
vulnerability and making the move from
physical to digital even more pronounced.
In this rapidly changing environment, we
cannot expect traditional security strategies
to remain effective.
The end of the old guard approach
For too long, the old guard has maintained
that the key fundamentals of security are
firewalls, IDS and anti-virus. But escalating
data breaches illustrate that focusing on these
basics alone is no longer effective. In 2018,
cybersecurity strategies must evolve and take
the new world order into consideration.
2018 must be the year for enhanced
visibility, no matter where your ‘perimeter’
is. The days of single breakouts and
in-house applications are over, therefore
the future-proof strategy must expand
the definition of the ‘boundary’ beyond
physical buildings and defending against
external threats. Now, the perimeter must
look both ways to protect against the
30
INTELLIGENTCIO
threats from the inside; where a massive
hole could be waiting to be exploited.
Full visibility required
Security must consider who and what
is already within the confines of the
environment, asking what users do with
information and how they are accessing
applications. It must take into account that
users access business systems remotely, and
that critical systems and data are now stored,
accessed and created out in the cloud.
In 2018, cybersecurity strategies must move
to deliver full visibility across all business
“
NOW, THE
PERIMETER MUST
LOOK BOTH WAYS
TO PROTECT
AGAINST THE
THREATS FROM
THE INSIDE;
WHERE A
MASSIVE HOLE
COULD BE
WAITING TO BE
EXPLOITED.
systems, everywhere. Information
security must ensure that it knows what
behaviours are taking place across both
its physical and virtual environments,
because only with real visibility into
behavioural changes or anomalies can
you adequately respond to breaches and
evolving threats.
Effective monitoring with the ability
to instantly respond will eliminate
downtime and ensure ongoing business
operations and the capability to secure
your business in a digital world. The drive
for visibility must be a key aspect of your
strategy to secure your environment, no
matter where the perimeter is.
Bring the user into the battle
Because the busy modern, hyper-
connected user can and will compromise
your environment, most of the time by
accident, cybersecurity strategies must
become more user-centric. The user is
where the biggest real risk sits, but the
modern user cannot work with traditional
‘lock and block’ scenarios. Instead, users
need to be incorporated into the battle
plans by providing them the power to
identify and help prevent cyberattacks.
In 2018 the forward-looking
cybersecurity strategy will do everything
possible to empower the user to fight
against cyberattacks.
Utilising effective technology to provide
you and the user with full visibility into
risky activity and immediately identify
anomalies will be the key to staying un-
breached in 2018.
www.intelligentcio.com
EDITOR’S QUESTION