The Evolving Cybersecurity Landscape: What Lies Ahead?

For government and military organizations, keeping pace with these changes is critical to protect sensitive data and maintain operations. As a leader in cyber solutions, NexTech Solutions anticipates several key trends that will shape cybersecurity in the years ahead.

GUARDING AGAINST EMERGING THREATS

The types of cyber threats we face are likely to expand. Adversaries will continue honing social engineering tactics, like phishing and vishing, to exploit human vulnerabilities. IoT devices and operational technology will also be increasingly targeted to gain backend access or conduct disruptive attacks. To get ahead, cyber teams will need to devote more resources to monitoring the dark web, learning hacker techniques, and understanding the motivations behind different threat actors.

Agencies must also prepare for threats that don’t even exist yet. The growing use of AI for malicious purposes could lead to attacks that are highly targeted, adaptive and difficult to trace. Quantum computing may one day allow threat actors to break current encryption standards. Even the metaverse and Web3 could introduce new attack surfaces. By partnering with companies like NTS at the leading edge, organizations can anticipate and get out ahead of emerging risks.

SHORING UP DEFENSE WITH ZERO TRUST

Zero trust has gained significant traction as a proactive security approach. At its core, zero trust means removing implicit trust in anything inside or outside the network perimeter. This may involve verifying user identities and device health before granting access, limiting lateral movement between resources, encrypting data everywhere, and assuming breach.

While few organizations have fully implemented zero trust currently, its principles are here to stay. As technology environments get more complex, organizations will need to double down on least privilege access, micro segmentation, continuous authentication and securing data wherever it goes. Adopting a zero trust approach can help detect malicious activity faster and greatly reduce the impact of breaches.

AUTOMATING FOR GREATER EFFICIENCY

The velocity and volume of cyber threats today necessitate more automation in security processes. AI and machine learning are enabling organizations to sift through huge data sets and identify anomalies in network traffic, endpoints or user behavior. Chatbots are tackling basic security tasks while freeing up staff for higher-value work. Automated orchestration is streamlining common workflows like threat intel gathering, vulnerability scanning and patching.

These technologies are force multipliers for security teams pressed for talent and time. However, they require upfront investment and ongoing supervision. Organizations will need to carefully evaluate solutions against their environment and use cases. By beginning with pilot projects, they can build up automated capabilities over time with partners like NTS to guide implementation.

ENABLING SECURE COLLABORATION

The shift to remote and hybrid work has demolished the traditional network perimeter. Employees now access sensitive data and applications from home networks and personal devices. This requires a completely new approach to securing collaboration and communication.

Organizations need to extend identity management, data protection and threat monitoring to endpoints beyond their control. Virtual private networks and zero trust access can secure remote connections to internal resources. Cloud security posture management brings visibility over assets and risks in the cloud. Rights management and endpoint encryption prevent data loss. With a data-centric approach, organizations can enable secure collaboration across environments while maintaining control and compliance.

EMBRACING A PROACTIVE MINDSET

Cybersecurity can no longer just be a reactionary function. With rising data volumes and slimmer margins of error, organizations need to be proactive about keeping their environments and data secure. This starts with regular threat modeling to identify vulnerabilities and untested assumptions.

Proactive security teams will wargame against different scenarios to evaluate and improve incident response plans. They’ll tackle problems like IP theft and insider threats before events occur. And they’ll advocate for secure-by-design systems, rather than bolt-on security. Developing this mindset, backed by foresight from partners like NTS, will strengthen defenses and help organizations stay ahead of threats.

ADOPTING A HOLISTIC VIEW

As attack techniques get more advanced, siloed security strategies can’t hold up. Organizations need to break down barriers between cybersecurity, IT, fraud and physical security teams. Bringing these disciplines together provides a holistic view of the many factors that contribute to risk.

For example, vulnerabilities in a public-facing application could be exploited to gain network access. Poor physical security could allow someone to steal a laptop and credentials. And social engineering could trick employees into handing over sensitive data. By unifying risk management, organizations can identify and address root causes across these domains.

STAYING RESILIENT IN COMPLEX TIMES

From sophisticated nation-state attacks to an unprecedented remote workforce, these are complex times for cybersecurity. But with a proactive approach, robust automation, unified risk management and an empowered team, organizations can develop resilience for the road ahead. By partnering with industry leaders like NexTech Solutions, agencies can take advantage of cutting-edge solutions and services that help strengthen defenses today and anticipate the threats of tomorrow.

WHY IS IT IMPORTANT TO ANTICIPATE AND PREPARE FOR THREATS THAT DON’T EXIST YET?

It’s important to anticipate and prepare for new threats because the cyber landscape is constantly evolving. Adversaries are endlessly innovating new ways to breach defenses. By analyzing trends and emerging technologies, organizations can get ahead of risks before they materialize. 

Having proactive discussions about hypothetical scenarios also stress tests readiness. This allows teams to identify and shore up gaps in detection, response and resilience before the next big threat arrives. In cybersecurity, failing to anticipate the unexpected leaves you vulnerable.