FINAL WORD
Cybersecurity risks will continue to rise
While cybersecurity has been an issue for some time , it will unfortunately continue to be a vital concern this year . From schools and hospitals to private businesses and governments , there ’ s been a rise in cyberattacks over the last year . In Q3 of 2020 alone , Trend Micro reported that there were almost 4 million email threats and over 1 million hits on malicious URLs related to COVID-19 .
Much of this can be linked to the overnight shift to remote work , which left companies scrambling to keep business running while also trying to secure corporate assets . This shift highlighted the fact that the traditional IT perimeter no longer exists .
and automated reminders for firmware and hardware updates are significant advantages in this heightened risk environment .
Greater focus on trust in the supply chain
Physical security technology has become an integral part of an organization ’ s IT strategy and is , thankfully , now under the same level of scrutiny as other elements of an organization ’ s technology stack . Some governments are already discouraging the use of certain products from security manufacturers , citing trust and security vulnerabilities .
End-users , especially in the enterprise space , are taking more time to scrutinize the manufacturers , suppliers and distributors with whom they choose to work . This includes asking vendors more pointed questions about how they manage emerging threats , how forthcoming they are about product vulnerabilities and their partner ecosystem , and what their data and privacy policies are .
For a physical security solution provider to be considered a reputable , reliable partner to their customers , they are going to have to meet more stringent requirements as part of the procurement process .
Demand for hybrid cloud solutions will continue to grow
Cloud offerings need to become an essential option to quickly adapt to changes and ensure Business Continuity .
Businesses , organizations and governments will need to take decisive steps to strengthen their cyber posture , or risk undermining the safety of their intellectual property , sensitive data and personal information . Choosing trusted vendors and deploying physical security solutions that come with layers of cyberdefense is critical .
Security teams understand that built-in encryption , multi-factor authentication and password management are the first lines of defense . Beyond that , taking advantage of other features such as cybersecurity risk scoring , system vulnerability alerts
According to Forrester ’ s recent report , Predictions 2021 : Cloud Computing Powers Pandemic Recovery , global public cloud infrastructure will grow 35 % to a market value of US $ 120 billion over the next year . As online usage and remote work spiked during the pandemic , a global shift towards Digital Transformation , already underway , greatly accelerated .
In order to thrive , physical security professionals will need to follow the lead of IT departments . This year , physical security leaders should let go of the either / or division between cloud and on-premises security systems and embrace a hybrid deployment model in their physical security infrastructure . This will allow them to implement specific systems or applications in the cloud while keeping existing on-premises systems .
With a hybrid cloud approach , security directors will become more agile in making decisions about how they can enhance scalability , redundancy and availability to suit their organization ’ s evolving needs . They will also be able to quickly migrate to newer technologies , minimize hardware footprint , boost cybersecurity and reduce costs . Cloud offerings need to become an essential option to quickly adapt to changes and ensure Business Continuity . p
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