7 information security trends currently dominating the market

Protecting your information, especially if it’s information you’ve collected about your customers that includes things like their address or their credit card number, is absolutely vital to your business. Even if the information you lose isn’t customer-related, it can still lead to the loss of thousands, even millions, of dollars if it’s related to a trademark or other intellectual property.

If you’re concerned about your company’s information security, you may be interested in learning about these seven different information security trends that are currently dominating the market.

1) Legislation and Information

As more and more information is sent, stored, and analyzed online, more and more governments are creating legislation in an attempt to control it. However, the legislation passed by one country may be different or even directly contrary to that passed by another, leaving global businesses stuck in the middle. These laws may restrict the free exchange of information, even if that was not the original act, and all businesses are going to have to deal with the fallout.

The result is that some technology companies have come in direct conflict with governments by telling them that they will not hand over certain information or decrypt specific data. This is an ongoing discussion in the information security industry, and so far, there has been no clear indication of how legislation, which is often trying to put rules on past situations, can keep up with the always-changing world of data security.

2) Big Data will result in Big Problems

Organizations have become very reliant on big data, using it in almost every major decision that they have to make. While data analysis is certainly helpful in many areas, some businesses are starting to forget that human intuition is also important. By taking humans almost out of the process, many fear that decisions may begin to suffer. Big data isn’t always correct, and using it as the only basis for decisions could result in poor decisions, security vulnerabilities, and other issues. Business owners need to question the validity of their data, their code, and all other information to make certain that the information they’re using is correct and current.

3) The Cloud

We’re using the cloud to store just about everything these days -- from music and family photos to consumer data and software, it’s all moving to the cloud. However, by doing so, IT departments are also giving up some of their control of their data’s security. Businesses have to trust that their cloud provider has tight security and is constantly on guard for cyber-attacks.

IT departments and businesses a whole need to carefully evaluate their cloud vendors to make certain that they’re providing the best security possible. You should have full visibility of your data, including knowing where it’s physically being stored, what the provider’s security system is, and how they address vulnerabilities.

4) Ransomware

Ransomware is becoming more and more of a threat. This type of malware infiltrates computers and encrypts specific files that the operating system needs to function, making it impossible to access the computer until you pay the creator of the software. As the perpetrators behind get smarter, more people are falling for their tricks. Some call and claim to be with security companies and need access to your computer to repair it, while others try to get you to download files full of viruses.

Either way, IT departments and data security companies have to step up to deal with this type of threat. One way they are doing so is by using real-time network intrusion protection to see what unauthorized accounts are logged into the system and removing their access before they can do any damage.

5) Phishing

Phishing continues to be a concern to those in the information security world. Many cyber-terrorists prefer phishing because it’s much easier than creating a virus or malware. All they have to do is convince someone to give them a username and valid password to your system, and they can get into anything they want, especially if the username they get has access to high security information. Once they have the login credentials, they may be able to create backdoors into your system or completely take down your security form the inside.

6) Known System Vulnerabilities

It’s much easier to buy software or make use of open-source programs than it is to spend the time and money to develop one in-house. However, these commercially available programs often come complete with known vulnerabilities that hackers are more than willing to take advantage of. That’s why you have to do your research into software before you buy it.

It’s also vital that you keep up with software patches, too. If a security vulnerability is announced but you don’t patch it (or the company fails to make a patch available), you can almost be guaranteed that some cyber-criminal is going to take advantage of it. Make certain your systems have been fully patched and that you replace security systems that have known security issues and no available fixes for them.

7) The Internet of Things

As more devices become capable of connecting to the internet, each will bring with it a new way for hackers, viruses, and other destructive forces to access your network and get at your data. All of these new internet-connected devices will have to have some kind of security in place to prevent unauthorized access. Unfortunately, with so many new entry points to your system, it can be all but impossible to monitor every single one of them.

Smartphones and mobile apps are one such way hackers can make use of the Internet of Things to access a network. Many employees bring these devices (smartphones, laptops, tablets, and even wearables) to their office and connect them to the network so they don’t use up their data, but by doing so, they may let unauthorized programs into the network. Security companies and IT departments are quite concerned about what these apps and the Internet of Things as a whole will do to network security, which is why it’s one of the biggest trending issues in the industry today.

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Peter Davidson works as a senior business associate helping brands and start ups to make efficient business decisions and plan proper business strategies. He is a big gadget freak who loves to share his views on latest technologies and applications.