Key Focus Areas for CISOs to Watch Out for 2021

In today's world, every company has a CISO. The role of CISO has become important for carrying out the organization's operations. The world has witnessed the greatest pandemic that has necessitated all types of businesses to allow remote workforces without preparation. This requires CISOs to ensure digital security with new evolving threats.

The year 2020 and ongoing 2021 is witnessing an increased number of cyberattacks catering to the demand for CISOs.

What are the aspects that every CISO should focus on for 2021?

Make Cybersecurity a Boardroom Agenda

As every company is undergoing a digital transformation, security has become the main concern for all. The role of a CISO has remarkably expanded from being focused on technology alone to considering business risks as well. They should interact with their colleagues across business units, describing the importance of having a strong cybersecurity agenda. The management level councils and forums shall serve as a critical medium to interact with stakeholders to operate strategic initiatives.

Invest in Cloud Security

Today every business is moving towards the cloud, thus CISOs must prepare against more threats and attacks, data breaches, account hacking, etc. more the amount of information in the cloud, the more will be the number of cybercrimes. Though most cloud service suppliers include in-build security services for data protection, regulatory compliance, and privacy, ensure access control capabilities for effective security risk management and protection in the public cloud, still, it is difficult for organizations to develop a strong strategy for risk management framework, protect cloud design, security governance and skills expertise in the cloud as most attacks arise due to lack of a robust security strategy in the company.

Execute Basic IT Hygiene

Cybersecurity is no longer the sole responsibility of IT teams and security teams. Security is as strong as the weakest link. Therefore, it is important to confirm that every individual is acquainted with the security strategies and agrees to be an integral part of the ecosystem, thereby understanding and practicing IT hygiene, which will serve a healthy security structure. IT hygiene is the first line of protection that an organization can embrace by discovering what they want to protect, where these entities are located, and who controls them.

Develop Borderless Security

The remote and distributed workforce functions by retrieving resources on the cloud, from using collaborative platforms to critical work-related applications. The workflows are mostly occurring on the public network or from untrusted devices, thereby extending the enterprise circumference beyond the traditional boundaries of an organization. Therefore, borderless security is highly needed to confirm the safety of the businesses.

Create a Culture of Cybersecurity

A security culture is an important part of the comprehensive corporate culture that motivates employees to make decisions and accomplish their day-to-day duties according to the organization's cybersecurity policies. Business leaders need to raise an organizational-wide mindset that designates cybersecurity as the most important thing by giving employees sufficient training to recognize and report threats, develop communities and conduct cybersecurity awareness sessions in creative, fun ways, and reward and recognize employees who contribute to a secure organization.

Modernize Enterprise Security Architecture

The existing circumstances in most organizations are steered by the following themes:

• The expectation of having access to company resources from anywhere, any device, and ensuring remote infrastructure security and IP security.
• The capability to support cloud solutions and password-less authorization
• The demand for automated and continuous compliance and zero trust-based network models
• There is a move to security as a code and adherence to data privacy directives.

These themes are highlighting the changes that are needed to be made to ensure the enterprise security architecture.

Leverage Innovations

There is a rising tendency in the number of cyberattacks using advanced technology in the areas of malware, phishing, crypto-jacking, SQL injection, zero-day vulnerability exploits, watering hole attacks, social media disinformation, and spoof accounts. Hackers with minor technical skills turn to easily available and ready-to-use hacking equipment. As the hacker uses innovative technologies, organizations need to invest more in the latest technology solutions like AI, ML, and deep learning, blockchain, next-generation breach detection, and zero-trust networking solutions to fight back attacks.