Andrew Gibson, Technology Solutions Manager, STANLEY Security

The shift to a primarily remote workforce in 2020 threw gasoline on the fire in terms of organizational security, and prompted IT and security professionals to upgrade their systems and better protect their networks from impending threats. It was a year of learning, and we can apply those key lessons to businesses in 2021 and operate better than before.

While we can?t know exactly what?s in store for the year ahead, as security technology continues to adapt and change, it?s important for IT and security professionals to be knowledgeable about those changes.

Here are some of the trends I expect to impact the industry in 2021 and how professionals can prepare:

Security must go beyond VPNs

VPNs are a great jumping-off point when looking to implement a long-term remote work structure. However, finding success with VPNs is dependent on the available network capacity and contingent on users following proper security policies. As we look at the year ahead and many businesses continue to operate in a remote environment, IT and security leaders must prioritize network capacity and enforce policies, so that employees comply with proper security measures when using company devices.

The emergence of a new edge 

Over the past decade, cybersecurity has been and continues to be top of mind for business leaders. But in the past, many assumed only the network?s edge needed to be protected, and everything inside of it would also be covered. Fast-forward to today?s world, and the increase of cloud-based services and mobile workforces have blurred the edge for small-to-mid-sized companies. The result is the emergence of a new perimeter: the employee. The required protection area is now wider, and businesses will have to deploy Network Access Control solutions to protect the entire network or else risk increased cyber attacks.

Companies must reign in IoT use

When IoT was first introduced, there was a boom in the production of these solutions, and businesses jumped at the opportunity to adopt the technology. But many never addressed how IoT devices would interact with existing networks. The global IoT market is only expected to grow in the next 10 years, and as we look ahead in 2021, companies must find ways to intelligently control devices on their networks with strict guidelines around device governance to eliminate potential threats.

Transferred data must be protected

A tremendous amount of new technology has hit the security market over the past few years. This is a positive step for innovation, but these technologies also produce copious amounts of data ?? leaving companies exposed to numerous cybersecurity threats. Working in tandem with security teams, technology operating as middleware can solve some of these issues and manage interactions to protect transferred data.

While 2020 threw curveballs at every industry, it also sparked rapid innovation and creativity to solve problems. For IT and security teams, there?s no limit on what?s in store for 2021. However, I can say that a new year offers us a chance to make a fresh start. Preparing for these trends early will help set successful companies apart in 2021 as well as help protect your employees and your business.

Author

Andrew Gibson, Technology Solutions Manager, STANLEY Security. Andrew’s areas of expertise are network security and the convergence of IT and physical security. He comes from an IT background and, prior to joining STANLEY Security in June, he managed IT and physical security at various organizations for 10 years.

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