Protecting data is not just a technical issue anymore. International politics and commerce are also being impacted immensely. The Europe Union passed comprehensive data protection laws called the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) in 2018. Revelations that user data was not protected, but exploited without consent, led to the CEOs of major Silicon Valley companies being summoned to testify in front of the U.S. Congress. As a result, people worldwide are now demanding greater protection for their personal information.
Although protections are becoming stronger, the sophistication and number of cyber threats continues growing. Types of attacks that were new and innovative several years ago can now be purchased from the dark web and deployed without the help of an expert hacker. What got much of the attention in 2018 was the rise in hijacks of IT resources for Bitcoin mining. However, insider attacks, malware, and ransomware have continued to be troublesome and will remain so in 2019. In the meantime, there are important cybersecurity trends that businesses must be aware of.

Cloud Security

Delivery of applications will keep trending to a SaaS (software as a service) model. It will be necessary to strengthen security involving cloud-based software. Even though enterprises are improving the security of applications, making user access easier has led to the introduction of hazards when companies are not attaining adequate security levels.
The integration of access management and centralized identity solutions like Azure Active Directory with enterprise applications should move forward. Unfortunately, non-IT enterprise software will remain vulnerable to cyber-attacks because of insufficient security.

Cyber Espionage

While most developed countries have laws against cyber-attacks, the Internet is a global network. More governments are recognizing attacks and cyber defense as key elements to their military capability. Commercial organizations need to be conscious that their digital assets must be protected from competitors, especially those operating within countries with weak data protection and security laws. 2019 will see an increase in commercial espionage and intelligence capturing in order to provide competitive advantage.
Part 2 will discuss GDPR Issues, Infrastructure Security, and Security Integration.
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