Looking back on the year, there has been a tremendous shift in how businesses operate. Learning how to navigate remote work environments in a safe, effective manner with such short notice was no easy task. Entering a new year filled with uncertainties has many employer’s wondering: Is remote work permanent? What will continuity look like if a portion (or most) of the staff remain working from home? This means we’re going to have to stop operating on a fast solution and look for more permanent means if we want this model to succeed.
Here are some trends we’re expecting to see in 2021:
1. Higher budget allocation to remote access, MFA, and related security controls
It’s likely that the infrastructure put in place pre-pandemic was not able to handle the spike in remote connectivity, either service-wise or in terms of security controls. Businesses may move away from traditional means of access and incorporate cloud-based services or invest in further security hardening.
2. Larger focus on AI and automation
With less employees and technicians in house, processes that require physical interaction or intervention become a concern. Having a streamlined, automated process will increase productivity across the board when working from home.
3. Increased phishing and ransomware campaigns
Critical healthcare infrastructure will be a popular target as the strain on the system continues. Not only will remote work increase the potential attack radius due to dispersed systems, but breaches and extended downtime could prove deadly if not quickly remediated.
4. 5G Implementation
5G has slowly been gaining more ground as the new telecommunications platform is rolled out. A new platform hosts a variety of new vulnerabilities and security blind spots to exploit and patch. It will become a race to secure environments that have switched over to the new standard and legacy models will need to be revised in order to remain secure.