8 Key Data Security Trends to Watch Out For in 2019

Last Updated on June 16, 2020 by Ashok Kumar

It’s that time of year again where we give you a little peak into what our security specialists believe will be the dominant data security trends in 2019.

This year, we’ve highlighted 8 trends that have built up significant steam in 2018 and are ready to explode heading into the new year.

So, let’s get started.

1. Wider Adoption of Data-Centric Audit & Protection

There has been a lot of talk this year about, what Gartner have dubbed, Data-Centric Audit and Protection (DCAP). This security strategy essentially suggests that putting data at the center of your security and working from the inside out is the best way to defend against both internal and external attacks.

DCAP can be broken down into four simple pillars. Find out where your sensitive data is, see who has access to this data, see what is happening to the data, and make sure the surrounding environment is secure.

There are very few genuine Data-Centric Audit and Protection solutions on the market at the moment, but they are growing in popularity. We expect to see more and more organizations seeking out these solutions in 2019 as experts will push DCAP as one of the most effective methods of data security.

2. Growing Demand for Data Security Specialists

There is still a huge shortage of qualified specialists in the data security arena, and this is unfortunately likely to continue next year. As more and more organizations become aware that cyber-security is a pressing issue that demands time, attention and manpower, they will seek out people with the skills to implement cyber-security solutions and practices.

We think it will be a good few years before supply catches up with demand in this area. Globally, the cyber-security skills shortage will be a contributing factor towards the growing number of attacks we’re going to see next year.

3. Artificial Intelligence will Attempt to Fill the Void

As a direct result of the cyber-security skills shortage, organizations will start looking towards artificial intelligence as a way of filling in the gaps. The more security processes that can be automated, the better chance of being able to detect and prevent attacks.

The increase of AI in security solutions will hopefully lead to better reporting, alerting and analytical capabilities.

4. IoT and Connected Devices

This point has been included on our last few lists and it continues to be one of the biggest concerns for both organizations and consumers.

With the wide adoption of BYOD and the introduction of cool new connected devices from Amazon, Apple and other tech giants, keeping data secure is getting increasingly difficult. The challenge many technology companies face is how to produce connected devices with adequate privacy controls in place to meet strict compliance mandates.

For example, have you ever thought about whether the health data that your Fitbit collects is stored, processed and handled in a responsible way? Do manufacturers of apps for your smartphones and smartwatches collect data in compliance with GDPR and other similar data-protection mandates?

5. Increasing Fines and Stricter Compliance Regulations

Because consumers are more aware of data security and privacy regulations than ever before, companies are under a lot more pressure to comply to regulations. Unfortunately, breaches continue to permeate organizations of all sizes. As a result, regulations will tighten up and fines will be handed out.

We believe that 2019 will be a year in which we will see huge fines given to organizations that are in breach of common compliance regulations. Specifically, it will be interesting to see how bad a breach needs to be to merit the full force of the GDPR fines (4% of annual global turnover or €20 million – whichever is greater).

6. Attackers Will Continue to Evolve

From what we have seen, attackers are able to evolve and increase the intelligence of their attacks at a faster rate than organizations are adopting the appropriate security controls.

The Dark Web will continue to conceal the strategic progress attackers are making and allow them to communicate with each other to better co-ordinate their attacks.

Organizations will not be able to get in front of the latest cyber-security trends and will suffer as a result.

7. Insider Threats Will Continue to Dominate

We predict that cyber-security breaches that involve external attacks will be more heavily publicized, because they are more dramatic. However, insider threats will continue to be one of the biggest causes of data breaches worldwide.

Organizations will have to start organizing their cyber-security strategy around their data and monitor the behavior of the users that have access to it. Even external hackers know that it is far easier for them to target your own users (through phishing attempts and social engineering, for example) than it is to break through sophisticated data protection solutions.

8. Lepide Will Dominate

And now for a bit of shameless self-promotion.

Lepide saw a record-breaking year in 2018 and can now officially call itself the fastest growing provider of data-centric audit and protection solutions.

In 2019, we are looking forward to introducing numerous intelligent and powerful features into the award-winning solution – Lepide Data Security Platform. If you want to get a jump-start on 2019 and see how Lepide Data Security Platform can help you bolster your data security, click here.