Cybersecurity Trends Watch 2019

Posted February 12, 2019

In Blog, Cloud Solutions, IT Solutions, Managed IT Service Providers, Managed IT Services, Managed Network Services, Managed Service Provider, Managed Services

Cyber “criminals” are creative people. Every time that technology advances, they seem to be one step ahead of the curve, constantly seeking new ways to exploit, scam, and ruin individuals and businesses alike. This is why cybersecurity is a critical necessity for anyone who accesses the internet. Every byte of data that we put into the world adds to the arsenal that hackers and attackers use to do their crimes.

On the other side of that, we have industry leaders staying apace of these new, troubling advances in cybercrime. For every phishing scam, there is someone seeking new ways to protect your email accounts. For every data leak, there are people coming up with better ways to encrypt information. Cybersecurity is a constantly evolving technology, and that’s a good thing.

Here are a few cybersecurity trends we predict will become a big deal in 2019:

Increased global compliance with laws regarding cyber-attacks. While most developed countries have comprehensive laws against cyberattacks, the same cannot be said for developing nations. Fortunately, that may not be the case for much longer. More and more world leaders are recognizing the dangers of commercial, military, and political espionage through cyberattacks, and are seeking to prosecute those who attempt to access proprietary data. This means higher stakes for hackers, and hopefully, some preventative measures will become apparent in the near future.
Enforcement of the GDPR. Called “the most important change in data privacy regulation in 20 years,” the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation is set to make some big waves in the ways that citizens and businesses protect their data. You can read a comprehensive overview of the changes on their website, but key points include

1. Jurisdiction rights of the GDPR to every nation within the Union
2. The enforcement of consent policies for data processing that must be written in easy-to-understand language and include full disclosure on the purpose for the data.
3. The right to withdraw consent for data processing at any time, and for that data to be “erased” from the system
4. The use of Data Protection Officers within companies to enforce and protect valuable data assets

This is important because we may begin to see changes in the United States that reflect similar laws to the GDPR. According to Brianna Butler, engineering data analyst, in an interview with WebRoot, “We are going to see a lot more legislation proposed within the US that will be very similar to GDPR, much like California already has. These types of laws will inspire the idea that companies don’t own data that identifies people, and we need to be better stewards of that data. Data, by all accounts, is a commodity. It’s necessary for innovation and to stay competitive, but the data must be good to be of any use.”

The continuing growth of the Internet of Things. The IoT, or Internet of Things, refers to the phenomena in which the items we purchase are becoming more and more reliant on internet connectivity to enhance or increase their function. Our vehicles, televisions, cell phones, and home appliances are now in a position to exchange data, something that simply wasn’t seen even 15 years ago. While this capability is useful and exciting, it also calls into question our privacy. It’s been suggested and stated that our smart TVs are always listening and that our cell phones send location data even when we tell them not to. While mostly innocent, it does call into question our privacy and ownership of our own information.
Cybersecurity measures are becoming more critical than ever before. Without complete and all-inclusive cybersecurity policies within your business, you are leaving yourself vulnerable to attacks from any number of parties. It is nigh impossible to monitor all the avenues of data theft threatening your business without help from experts in the field. Knowledge and experience play an undeniable role in the ability to catch attacks before they escalate to information theft, data corruption, or network hacking. Finding a cybersecurity firm that rightfully boasts efficiency, experience, and results is necessary.

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.