As we move into 2023 and look back at the past few years, it’s almost hard to believe how much has changed in the technology world. The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the way we work. A rise in cyberattacks has made us think differently about security. And technologies that once seemed like science fiction have become commonplace.
But even though things have already changed so much, we know they won’t stop here. It’s important not only to look behind us but also to look forward and try to determine how we can prepare ourselves for what’s coming.
Of course, no one can predict the future. But at Prime, we’re constantly encountering new challenges to overcome and new tools we can use—and we think we have a pretty good idea of where things might be going. For that reason, we’ve prepared a list of 4 technology trends we believe will continue into 2023 and beyond.
#1 Physical Security Solutions for Operational Issues
The idea of the security camera is nothing new to anyone. Security cameras have been in common use for around 70 years, allowing us to actively monitor spaces from a distance and record video when we’re not there. But recent advances in technology have led some organizations to make even better use of video data.
By applying AI tools to video data, you can gather a lot of valuable information. In retail spaces, you can gather data on customer traffic throughout your building, letting you know what parts of the store are most likely to get congested and where promotions might be most effective.
Video cameras are just one example of how existing technology can work together with diagnostic tools in unexpected ways. We believe there will be much more of this kind of application moving forward.
#2 Regular Testing of Disaster Recovery Backups
It's common knowledge that you should back up your data regularly in case of an emergency or disaster that causes you to lose access to your data through common means, such as a fire, flood, or cyberattack. But some companies are finding when they go to retrieve that data in a dire situation, things don’t always go as planned.
The data may be corrupted, or it may take so long to download that the company is forced to twiddle their thumbs for days while they wait. Because of this, more and more organizations are making regular backup testing a priority.
This doesn’t mean just taking a look to make sure the data’s there, but also performing a test download to see what the reality will be in the event of a disaster. This can help answer questions about how fast you would be able to get the data, and what it will really take to get back to work.
#3 More Active Security Monitoring
Anyone who’s been watching the news for the past few years already knows cyberattacks and ransomware attacks are becoming more and more common—and more and more advanced. As time goes on, the standard, passive, alarm-type cybersecurity solutions might not be enough to keep an organization safe.
“A lot of people have been getting by with a bare-minimum antivirus,” said Justin Ekstein, Prime Secured’s solution engineer. “But with the rise in cyberattacks, people are becoming more security conscious, and looking to partner with a 24/7 security center that can provide more active alerts.”
“This goes along with heavier audits from cyber insurance providers,” Ekstein continued. “Testing requirements continue to increase alongside increasing threats and the dollar amounts of the damage. People are being held to a higher standard of accountability.”
As cybercriminals continue to become more advanced, we expect to see a rise in this kind of active monitoring, as well as companies becoming more security-conscious overall. Many cybercriminals are casting a wide net and looking for the weakest link they can find, so staying ahead of the game is key to protecting yourself.
#4 Expanded Mobile Security and Multi-factor Authentication
Multi-factor Authentication (MFA) and Zero Trust principles are becoming the norm in digital security. It’s often no longer enough for a hacker to get access to an individual’s login credentials. Accessing someone’s account can now require the hacker to better impersonate that person.
With mobile phones being used as one of the most common sources of MFA, they’ve become an obvious target for cyberattacks. A hacker who has access to your SMS messages can easily retrieve a code sent to your phone and render the MFA useless.
One way to get ahead of what could be an upcoming increase in attacks on mobile phones is to harden the security of the phones themselves. This already makes sense—we use our phones for all kinds of things in daily life, from banking, to insurance, to reading and sending emails and more. It goes without saying we’d want these devices to be more secure.
Another possible approach is to expand the requirements for MFA. “Most environments with a password and MFA have access to everything. We have to start leveraging things like behavior analysis, risk analysis, and zero trust principles. We can look at all sorts of data points such as times and locations the user normally logs in from, what they’re doing when they’re logged in, how quickly they type and those kinds of things,” said Ekstein.
Keep Your Company Safe – Stay Ahead of the Game
Cyber security and physical security threats will never stop evolving. Just as advancements in technology give us new ways to keep ourselves safe, they also give bad actors new ways to attack us. The best way to stay safe is to keep on top of developing technologies and evolving best practices for both cyber security and physical security.
Of course, that can be a lot to ask of someone who’s focused on running a business. One way to stay on the cutting edge is to employ the expertise of a managed services company like Prime Secured. Our experts are constantly researching new cyber and physical attacks and security technologies so we can provide our clients with the best possible security.
If you want to know more about how Prime Secured can improve your cyber security and upgrade your physical security, visit us at www.primesecured.com. We’ll arm you with the information and technology you need to stay safe in a world of growing threats.