The Big Picture

Sam Olyaei, Senior Principal Analyst And Conference Chair, Gartner, Discusses How Security And Risk Strategies Have Evolved In The Digital Age.

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How is the security landscape different today as compared to two years ago?

Today, we are seeing increase complexity in the security landscape. This is because there are currently more tools, threats and cyber-attacks in the market. In addition, there is now much more malice in the attack landscape. Years ago, hacking was more about learning but now it has been weaponised for political and financial gains. New and different kinds of attacks have been emerging since late 2017. We’re seeing more financially motivated attacks and a big uptick in damaging ransomware.

In terms of changes in the landscape, the transition to cloud continues, bringing new opportunities as well as challenges. While this evolution has made a significant impact in the Middle East, many business leaders have been hesitant to adopt a cloud first strategy due to privacy and security concerns. Over time, resistance to cloud adoption has diminished especially with the opening of multiple data centres by the Tier 1 CSPs, but cloud security remains a big concern due to visibility issues.

Another issue that security leaders need to keep an eye on is the skills shortage. Business and IT leaders need to work on strategies to bridge the talent gaps within the organisation. CISOs will need to be proactive in that area through training, development, taking advantage of gamification and alternative means to upskilling their function.