Ten Cybersecurity Predictions for 2018

In looking back at 2017, one of the enduring outcomes is that cybersecurity cemented its place in the national conversation.

cyberattack under scrutiny

Though there were a number of major cyber breaches or hacks in the past year, the most far-reaching and potentially devastating was from Equifax. Yahoo Finance reports that over 145 million people were impacted, with stolen data ranging from contact information to Social Security numbers.

The breaches impact consumers as well as businesses, which can face dire consequences if not adequately prepared for such attacks. BizVoice magazine looked at cybersecurity concerns and efforts in two recent editions (find those stories here and here). We interviewed Nathan Stallings of Matrix Integration for one of those stories; the technology infrastructure and advisory company assists its clients in preparing for and preventing such attacks.

Stallings shares his “Top 10” cybersecurity predictions for 2018:

  1. Resources (people and money) for preventative and proactive measures will continue to shift from the network perimeter to within the network. Network Access Control (NAC), network segmentation, and Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) products and/or services will be the top three solutions for most organizations.
  2. Cloud security will become even more important as workloads transition to the cloud, whether public, private, or hybrid. The challenge will continue to be defining the security responsibilities of the cloud provider versus the organization.
  3. Companies will begin to shift their cybersecurity strategy from “prevent and protect” to “detect and recover”. I believe that there is a risk of moving too far away from “prevent and protect” which, in turn, will make “detect and respond” exponentially more difficult. The best strategy is a well-designed combination of the two approaches.
  4. Ransomware will be significantly worse. Variations of WannaCry and NotPetya along with Ransomware as a Service (RaaS) will result in at least a doubling of the number of ransomware incidents from 2017. The cost of ransomware damages globally will likely exceed $5 billion in 2017 and will be substantially higher in 2018. There were approximately 4 million ransomware attacks in 2015, 638 million in 2016, and the estimate for 2017 is a 250% increase. The number for 2018 will be well over 2 billion attacks. Organizations should focus on prevention methods like security awareness training, detection methods like managed security services, and recovery. Recovery may well be the most important and relies heavily on the ability to fully eradicate the ransomware and having a sound data back-up strategy.  
  5. Security awareness training of staff and contractors will become increasingly important as hackers turn away from direct attacks on network infrastructure and web applications and target the end-users with sophisticated “phishing” techniques.
  6. Significant attacks on Internet of Things and personal assistant/artificial intelligence will increase dramatically.
  7. The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Cybersecurity Framework (CSF) will continue to gain widespread acceptance and adoption because it is designed to complement, not replace, an institution’s risk management process and cybersecurity programs.
  8. More PCI compliance audits for credit card transactions as the PCI DSS compliance requirements become even more stringent.
  9. Additional high-profile breaches as large organizations continue to fail at the fundamentals of cybersecurity.
  10. Large healthcare organizations will continue to struggle to balance patient care, the needs of physicians and other medical personnel to quickly access critical information, and patient privacy with cybersecurity fundamentals. 

If your company isn’t prepared to stop a cyberattack, is it prepared to recover from one? An old saying seems applicable for this new challenge: “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.”

Jasper’s Matrix Integration Earns National Recognition

Matrix-Integration-logoMatrix Integration, an Indiana Chamber member based in Jasper, illustrates just some of the tech innovation found throughout the state. Today, the company celebrates five national awards. (And if you’re interested in enhancing the tech climate and are affiliated with an Indiana tech company, consider participating in the Indiana Technology & Innovation Council. The first open discussion is August 9.)

A press release has more on Matrix Integration:

Matrix Integration LLC, expert technology advisors based in Jasper, Indiana with locations in Fishers, Indiana and Louisville, Kentucky, wins multiple national awards including making the Diversity Business Top Business for 2016, the Top 30 Women of the Channel List from CRN- a leading magazine in the business-to-business computer industry – and Matrix was also named to CRN’s Tech Elite 250, the Elite 150 of CRN’s 2016 Managed Service Provider 500 (MSP500) list, and Solution Provider 500 (SP500) list.

“It is always a huge honor that we’ve won several of these awards year over year,” said Brenda Stallings, co-founder and CEO of Matrix Integration. “We pride ourselves on our highly trained, innovative workforce that builds lasting relationships, while we design and implement technology solutions that give our customers an edge, and the industry has recognized that.”

The awards recognize various aspects of Matrix Integration’s business.

  • As one of Diversity Business “Top Business for 2016” Matrix Integration represents a growing class of innovators and visionaries that continue to go beyond expectations in producing products and services that transform the way we live. Contributions also have created an important cycle of reinvigorating the nation’s and global economic vitality. www.diversitybusiness.com.
  • CRN’s 2016 Women of the Channel list honors 340 female executives who are making their mark in the technology industry with Matrix Integration’s co-founder and CEO, Brenda Stallings, ranking in the Top 30 List.
  • Companies on the CRN 2016 Tech Elite 250 list represent an elite group of North American IT solution providers that have invested in the training and education needed to earn the most advanced technical certifications in the IT Channel for data center or cloud.
  • The Elite 150 of CRN’s 2016 Managed Service Provider 500 (MSP500) list. The MSP500 is an annual list which recognizes the top technology providers and consultants in North America whose cutting-edge approach to managed services puts end-user customers in the best position to improve efficiencies, cut costs and speed time to market for their own products and services.
  • Awarded by The Channel Company and CRN for placing #294 on the 2016 CRN Solution Provider 500 (SP500) list. CRN’s staple SP500 list recognizes the top channel partners in North America each year since 1995. This acclaimed annual ranking is an industry-recognized guide to the most accomplished partners in the channel.

Matrix Integration Offers Employees a Boost and Balance

Matrix Integration, a voice and data solutions company in Jasper, made a repeat appearance on the Best Places to Work list this year. Here are a few examples from employees of what brightens up their work week:

  • Every Friday employees can submit a “thumbs up” about someone else, which serves a pass to wear denim for the day. These positive comments are then posted on the company intranet for everyone to read.
  • For Becky Schneider, her ability to balance her career and home life makes working at Matrix ideal. “I love the fact that they give the flexibility to have a career and a family,” she asserts. The five-year employee is expecting her second child this year. She has the freedom to make her own routine and doesn’t have to sacrifice her family or marketing career at Matrix.
  • Workout equipment is available in the employee break room and healthy snacks (such as bananas and grapes) are available for free. Some employees meet after work for a fitness walk as part of the wellness program, Schneider shares.

Read more about Matrix Integration in the May/June issue of BizVoice®.