Turning the Tide – Security Predictions for 2021

The coming year has never been more uncertain for enterprises as the world grapples with an ongoing pandemic. As remote work arrangements become even more prevalent, long-simmering security issues are growing at an exponential scale.

The far-reaching consequences of these abrupt changes demand recalibrated protection efforts. Increased online dependency requires enterprises to reconsider how they would conventionally view security.

Introduction

The coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic has changed the way many organizations operate as remote work has become the norm. However, moving from a customary office to a home-based workstation — potentially as a long-term arrangement — poses new security risks for businesses as more threat actors attempt to capitalize on Covid-19-related unease.

We affirmed in our security predictions for 2020 that the old paradigm, where networks are traditionally isolated behind a corporate firewall, would be behind us. Traditional setups and protections would no longer be adequate in an ecosystem that demands a wide range of services and platforms.

When the Covid-19 pandemic hit, organizations quickly had to reckon with this reality. It has put to the fore sobering reminders of perennial issues and neglected warnings that have beset cybersecurity for years. It also presented how organizations worldwide are at a significant risk of disruption by cyberattacks, global crises, and other eventual tipping points. While the risk has always been there, the pandemic only underlined the gravity of the issue: How are sectors equipped or prepared for such scenarios?

In 2021, organizations will scramble to deal with the far-reaching effects while striving to stay secure as online dependency grows. We discuss the developments that are not only plausible but ones that should also be anticipated. We look into the drivers of cybersecurity’s near future and how organizations will have to adapt as threats and technologies exert their influence. Our report aims to empower organizations and decision-makers to frame a proper, strategic response that can withstand change and disruption.