Gartner Highlights Top 6 Cybersecurity Trends for 2024

Posted May 21, 2024

Leading research and advisory firm Gartner have published its outlook on the top cybersecurity trends that will shape the industry in 2024. The six key trends span strategic approaches, technological innovations, and cultural shifts that security leaders should consider to bolster their organization’s cyber resilience in the face of an ever-evolving threat landscape.

Continuous Threat Exposure Management (CTEM) Programs Gain Momentum

CTEM represents a proactive approach to identifying and mitigating potential threats before they can be exploited. By continuously scanning for vulnerabilities across infrastructure, applications, and third-party relationships, organizations can significantly reduce their risk of breaches. Gartner predicts a two-thirds reduction in breaches by 2026 for organizations prioritizing CTEM investments.

Cybersecurity Outcome-Driven Metrics Bridge the Boardroom Communication Gap

Outcome-driven Metrics (ODMs) quantify the impact of security investments, providing a tangible way to convey the effectiveness of security measures to executive leadership. This shift from focusing on cyber maturity to evaluating performance aligns cybersecurity efforts more closely with business objectives. Successful organizations leverage ODM insights to advocate for necessary resources and drive continuous improvement.

Third-Party Cybersecurity Risk Management Becomes Resilience-Driven and Resource-Efficient

Organizations should prioritize cybersecurity risk when partnering with third parties, focusing on establishing mutually beneficial relationships and ensuring continuous safeguarding of valuable assets. This involves developing a resilience-driven strategy, collaborating closely with vendors on incident response plans, optimizing resources, and leveraging automation tools. Education and information sharing with industry peers are crucial for strengthening cybersecurity posture.

Generative AI Sparks Short-Term Skepticism but Offers Long-Term Potential

While cautioning against unrealistic expectations, Gartner emphasizes the importance of preparedness for the swift evolution of Generative AI (GenAI). Organizations must thoroughly understand the data points and sources that will make AI tools valuable and configure them correctly for specific use cases. Education from various sources is key to ensuring successful adoption of GenAI tools.

Security Behavior and Culture Programs Gain Traction to Reduce Human Risks

Security leaders are shifting focus from awareness to fostering behavioral change to reduce cybersecurity risks. Security behavior and culture programs (SBCPs) offer an enterprise-wide approach to mitigating incidents related to employee behavior. Organizations implementing SBCPs report better adoption of security controls, reduced unsecure behavior, increased agility, and more effective use of cybersecurity resources.

Identity & Access Management (IAM) Role Expands to Improve Cybersecurity Outcomes

As organizations transition to an identity-first approach to security, the emphasis shifts from traditional controls to IAM. Gartner predicts an expanded role for IAM, with a focus on enhancing fundamental hygiene and system hardening to bolster resilience. Security leaders should strengthen their identity fabric and utilize identity threat detection and response to effectively support the broader security program.

By staying attuned to these trends and strategically adapting their cybersecurity strategies, organizations can enhance their resilience against the constantly evolving cyber threat landscape in 2024 and beyond. Proactive approaches, effective communication, collaboration, and a focus on identity management will be key to successful cybersecurity outcomes.

Kyle Vinar

Kyle Vinar is Partner / President of Verus Corporation. He oversees all business operations and coaches Verus teams to continually improve on their solutions from client experience to product development and overall solution implementation. He works with all Verus resources to increase efficiencies and excellence in every aspect of their organizational roles. Kyle believes that people are the last real competitive edge that a company can have and constructing a rich culture is a vital step in running a world-class organization. Therefore he strives to create a culture within Verus that allows everyone to show up authentically and grow both personally and professionally, which in turn allows Verus Corp team members to provide clients with top-of-the-line service. Kyle helps balance strategy, capacity, and culture in such a way that has allowed Verus Corp to achieve exponential growth since he joined the company in 2013. One of Kyle’s greatest professional achievements has been in helping lay the foundation upon which Verus Corporation could be named the 2nd Best Place to Work by the Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal. Kyle holds a Bachelor of Science in Marketing from St. Cloud State University. He lives in Champlin with his wife and 3 children. He has enjoyed volunteering as a soccer coach for over 6 years and was the former Director of Coaching for Rebels Soccer Club. If Kyle isn’t on the sidelines of one of his children’s soccer games or in the audience of his eldest’s musicals, he can often be found cruising scenic routes on his Harley, in a deer stand, or on the golf course.