The increasing number of connected devices is multiplying the probability of cyber attacks against organizations across all sectors, from manufacturing to entertainment, to government agencies. The flurry of attacks is compelling organizations to adopt security solutions that secure computing resources, information, networks, and applications. Frost & Sullivan has conducted analysis on efforts to shore up security and finds that increased vulnerabilities are prompting innovations in security tools. The emerging security solutions are directed toward fortifying sophisticated technologies such as cloud computing, big data, wireless communication, and the Internet of Things (IoT).
Frost & Sullivan's analysis, The Impact of Cybersecurity Innovations in Key Sectors, reveals a trend toward developing multiple layers of cyber security. Securing the organization's digital perimeter is no longer sufficient. New threats are prompting innovative tools that take security deeper into the network, protecting endpoint, applications, and data.
Just as attacks are getting more sophisticated, security is also getting smarter. "Cyber security has to do more than just protect against known threats. Every day, new and sophisticated threats are emerging, known as zero-day attacks," Debarun Guha Thakurta, research analyst at Frost & Sullivan, and author of the study, told Design News. "Cyber readiness is essential to identify and protect against the future threats as well."
Gone are the days when an attack could be traced to a disgruntled former employee or a home-based hacker who is part of a group such as Anonymous. "Considering the growing number of targeted cyber attacks and their trends, risk is not limited to only hackers today," said Thakurta. "Evidence, nature of attacks, and targets give a clear idea of sophisticated cyber crimes and cyber espionage."
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Cyber attacks have evolved beyond simple penetration of the organization's digital wall. "Cyber security has grown beyond just perimeter protection," said Thakurta. "Innovators are presently focusing on various layers of security such as endpoint, data, network, and so on to minimize vulnerabilities and bolster protection."
The goal of cyber security is to prevent attacks before they happen. This involves defining vulnerabilities beyond the obvious. "The key to protecting the ever-growing network of connected devices and minimize vulnerabilities is developing proactive solutions rather than reactive solutions," said Thakurta. "Proactive security, powered by intelligence, can identify and protect against even unknown threats right at the inception, before much harm has been caused."
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He noted that the integration of futuristic technologies and mechanisms such as predictive threat analytics, machine learning, and network and device behavior analysis will quicken the march toward proactive cyber security solutions; "The deployment of IoT, especially, will open up innumerable attack surfaces for cyber attackers to leverage. As a result, endpoint and wireless network security for IoT will leap to the forefront of technology development and wide-scale adoption," said Thakurta. "The convergence of neural networks, machine learning, and predictive analytics will further lay the foundation for a plethora of next-generation cyber-security solutions."
He believes organizations will need to stay a step ahead of the potential attack. "The key to protecting the ever-growing network of connected devices and minimize vulnerabilities is developing proactive solutions rather than reactive solutions," said Thakurta. "Proactive security, powered by intelligence, can identify and protect against even unknown threats right at the inception, before much harm has been caused."
Rob Spiegel has covered automation and control for 15 years, 12 of them for Design News. Other topics he has covered include supply chain technology, alternative energy, and cyber security. For 10 years he was owner and publisher of the food magazine, Chile Pepper.