FEATURE : 2021 TECHNOLOGY FORECAST
I DON ’ T KNOW HOW YOU CAN WORK IN A TECHNICAL DISCIPLINE AND NOT SEE HOW AUTOMATION WILL MAKE YOUR JOB EASIER .
Compared to five years ago , I definitely see cybersecurity being more on the board agenda now which is great . I think and hope that in the next five years , it will be on every board ’ s agenda – because it will need to be . We are seeing more cyberattacks than ever before , with more breadth of organisations being hit . This will help to improve the state of cybersecurity , but unfortunately the journey will be painful for many organisations , particularly for those who are not already prioritising cybersecurity in the way they should be .
What are some of the overall cybersecurity threats you expect to take place in the near future and how will this affect employment ?
I don ’ t think ransomware is going anywhere soon . We will continue to see strains of ransomware evolve and ransomware as a distraction become more and more commonplace . Unfortunately , it ’ s something that works really well for cybercriminals – too well . everything manually , it ’ s going to have a knock-on effect . Organisations that do not embrace automation in cybersecurity will get left behind as they will be more susceptible to attacks .
We will continue to see breaches occur because of a lack of security around remote working and the use of personal devices and home networks . The more cloud , the more connected devices , the more opportunity for cybercriminals .
How do you predict the use of automation tools will shape the cybersecurity landscape ?
Cybercriminals have been using automation longer than security teams have . The cybersecurity industry as a whole needs to be quicker off the mark and needs to better embrace automation .
Automation is the answer to how we deal with the amount of data we are generating – it will create new roles like automation engineers and automation architects , for example . But it will ultimately come down to enabling automation – if your business is still doing
How far do you agree with the 88 % of cybersecurity professionals who believe automation will make their jobs easier ?
I agree fully with the 88 % and I want to speak to the other 12 % and ask , ‘ why wouldn ’ t it ?’ Automation will make their job easier and will never make their job harder . It ’ s there to help drive efficiencies and ultimately provide decision support to humans . I don ’ t know how you can work in a technical discipline and not see how automation will make your job easier .
Do you expect the number of females within the industry to continue rising ?
Yes ! I think that more organisations are embracing diversity in general and cultivating a more inclusive environment . I also think there is a really good support network for women in security , be that organised
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