2015 Signals the Return of the Security Imperative

This time last year futurologists were predicting the gentle evolution of the Big Data trend. Few would have predicted how dramatic the resurgence of security has been.

Sure, there was a drumbeat of public security breaches like Snowden in play, but the flurry of large-scale breaches in 2014 such as Target, JP Morgan, Home Depot and Sony have fundamentally tipped the balance of where security sits in the planning process for IT teams for the coming few years. It was my central point in the BBC 2015 predictions article you may have seen last week.

These breaches were the culmination of months of research and work by the attackers. However, as attackers refine their tools, techniques and processes, breaches will occur in greater numbers and with increasing speed and frequency – the outcome of the growing Crime-as-a-Service industry. In response, larger companies will begin to remove point security solutions and instead aim to provide a broader, more holistic view of their overall security posture.

But it’s not just large organizations under attack. Smaller companies will be increasingly targeted to be used as ‘springboards’ to gain entry to the companies they provide services for or have relationships with. Advanced threats usually equate to more IT investment, and to balance their books smaller companies will continue to look to consolidate vendor security services.

These landmark breaches have also highlighted that all organizations will be forced to reduce their reliance on technology solely for security and will focus on more effective ways to make the employees part of the solution – a shared security responsibility.

There are, of course, other trends to consider in 2015 – wearable tech is now becoming refined, affordable and the consumer has a myriad of choices as a quick glance at CES news shows. These devices will drive an uptick in requests to make corporate information accessible through apps on new types of mobile platforms.  As the perimeter becomes even less defined, organizations will need to reassess their security processes and technologies to compensate.

Something fundamental changed last year. We’re in the midst of the Big Data era, powered by cheap storage, new grid-computing technology and maturing adoption by users. However, now more than ever, we’re reminded of the risks presented by our valuable data falling into the wrong hands.