Predictions 2016

Westcon-Comstor David Garwood, EMEA product manager

Respective users and their activities can dramatically impact network performance and integrity, so understanding what is happening on the network is crucial in managing this evolving landscape.

 

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In a recent survey by Extreme Networks, 89% of respondents acknowledged they don’t have total visibility of the applications and users on their networks, while 55% received complaints about network performance.

At Westcon-Comstor, we encourage customers to look at the Extreme Networks analytics solution as a way of controlling and keeping on top of this proliferating demand on the network. ExtremeAnalytics (formerly known as Purview) is a network-based business intelligence tool that enables the IT team to gather a wealth of information on applications, users, locations and devices, from the network itself, and analyse this data to make faster and better-informed decisions. This allows IT managers to optimise the network for each and every application, to effectively secure them, and to provide data for business analytics.

Palo Alto Networks Paul Donegan is regional sales manager for Ireland

1. 2016 shifts security strategy in the EU
Government regulation is evolving as a response to cyber threats’ increasing impact on society and economies. Initiatives like the Network Information Security Directive and General Data Protection Regulation Reform will have significant influence on cybersecurity policies in 2016. In the wake of regulation, businesses will need to grapple with new requirements to align with mandates.

2. Focus on mobile payments
The payments landscape is shifting with the advent of Apple Pay, Android Pay and other eWallets. Cybercriminals will follow the money and 2016 will see increased focus on preventing cyberattacks on mobile devices from businesses and mobile providers.

3. European supply chains will be tested
It is commonly said that supply chains are only as strong as the weakest link. As observed in a number of high-profile breaches over the last year, this proves true in cybersecurity worldwide. In Europe, supply chains cross borders and companies grapple with different levels of cybersecurity awareness or regulation, resulting in complex networks of potential risk. Over the next year we can expect to see increased scrutiny of cybersecurity policies across all parts of the supply chain and the bolstering of identified weak points.

4. CSO evolution
Historically the CSO reported into the CIO, but we have seen this shift as cybersecurity becomes a bigger issue. Our recent report Governance of Cybersecurity 2015 highlights that Europe is the only region to show a sizable shift from CISO and CSOs reporting to the CIO, moving from 50% in 2012 down to 33% in 2015.

5. Shadow IT becomes a business priority
As 2015 comes to a close, we’re seeing three IP-enabled devices for every person and over a zettabyte of data crossing global networks. As data grows, businesses opt to outsource, cloud-source and consumerise their IT rather than invest in complex systems. This adoption of SaaS technology, along with the rise of BYOD, IoT and wearables, is shifting how businesses think about shadow IT.

6. The blurring boundaries of attacks
Advanced persistent threats (APT) and nation state attacks have been a focus over the past few years, however more common attacks are incorporating advanced concepts, such as multiple components to avoid detection, taken from the APT attack lifecycle, and focusing in on more implicit targets. As nation states look to cybercriminals for knowledge sharing and new tactics, and as these boundaries blur, we need to use solutions that work cohesively to prevent blended approaches.Nobody knows what the future holds, but it’s possible to anticipate what’s coming. They key for businesses is to identify weak spots and ensure the right stronghold of policies and technology in place to prevent breaches. With the right mindset, strategies and next-generation tools, we can prevent the threats of tomorrow. 

Threatscape Dermot Williams, managing director

On the technical side, the endless stream of vulnerabilities, malicious activity and data breaches will continue. As TS would put it (not Threatscape, but Taylor Swift) — “cause the hackers gonna hack, hack, hack, hack”. Attackers will particularly focus on ways to monetise their activities, as the massive growth in ransomware has shown.

So what to do about it? There will be a greater focus on achieving key outcomes from investments in information security, rather than merely deploying a tick-box list of point solutions. A challenge to overcome is distilling useful and actionable intelligence from the flood of event data generated across an organisation’s IT infrastructure. With a growing shortage of expert personnel, expect big data and machine learning technology to form a greater part of the solution.

Finally, legislators will become more insistent that organisations do not take risks with personal data, and report any incidents promptly and candidly. We’ve seen Volkswagen fall from grace and face massive fines from playing fast and loose with environmental rules; one or more household names could find cybersecurity lapses bringing them the same level of pain.

eir Business Caitriona Lannon, director of Product Development

Mobility
The market demand for mobility solutions will continue to grow. We’re hearing from our customers that the implementation of mobility solutions has transformed business processes in areas such as transport, logistics, field sales, field operations and delivery, and that these solutions are delivering significant productivity benefits. Field staff now have secure network access to back-end systems from their mobile devices. This optimises control and logistics, and because staff can upload data in real-time, the need for batch manual uploading of data is dramatically reduced. Ultimately, mobility is enabling organisations to perform tasks in real-time and respond to their customers more immediately, which delivers significant productivity and efficiency benefits, while also improving customer service.

Security
eir Business customers tell us that IT security, including security of mobile devices, is a major priority in their organisations. High-profile security breaches last year – everything from Talk Talk to Sony – made board-level executives extremely aware of the potential threats that exist to their business. Additionally, the EU Data Protection Directive and the EU Cybersecurity Strategy are driving regulatory and political activity that will increase demand for the security services that can protect companies’ data and assets. No organisation wants to experience the worst-case scenario of theft of customer data, or the financial implications that would go with that.