Netwrix announces top seven IT security trends for 2019

Netwrix, provider of a visibility platform for data security and risk mitigation in hybrid environments, outlines the top seven IT security trends that will affect the threat landscape and influence how organizations should tackle cybersecurity in 2019.

In order to stay safe next year, organizations need to employ basic security controls, understand and comply with regulations they might be subject to, and focus their security efforts on protecting the most valuable data.

The company listed the following key IT security trends:

1. Compliance will get broader and stricter. Attention on protecting personal data will continue to rise in 2019. We will witness the growth of data security and privacy laws on the heels of GDPR and CCPA. Moreover, within the next five years, we should expect adoption of a national data privacy standard in the U.S. Moreover, with the upsurge in data breaches in 2018, Netwrix anticipates stricter enforcement of existing compliance standards, starting with data breach notification rules.


2. Security will become more data-centric. With tightened compliance regulations and increased attention from the public about the privacy of their data, organizations will have to turn from perimeter defense to data-centric security. This will drive an increased need for data discovery solutions. Ongoing data discovery will be a must in 2019.


3. Cloud adoption will accelerate. The popularity of cloud services and solutions will steadily rise, so the problem of securing data stored in the cloud will become more acute. Organizations should consider machine learning technologies, along with hiring SecDevOps teams, when developing in-house software in the cloud.


4. AI and advanced analytics will be more sought after. Given the severe shortage of InfoSec skills and employees, businesses will continue to look for ways to automate IT security processes, driving demand for solutions that incorporate advanced analytics, artificial intelligence and machine learning technologies.


5. Blockchain will be used for IT security. The potential for applying blockchain technologies for data security will be realized more and more. It will not be widely adopted in 2019, but market penetration will steadily rise. Netwrix advises data security leaders to get familiar with the technology and consider adopting it in the future.


6. IoT devices will continue to be at risk. Hackers will initiate new types of attacks aimed at IoT. To be secure, at a minimum, consumers should make sure to have a unique, strong password for each device and never rely on the default one. Netwrix also hopes that manufacturers will pay more attention to properly securing their products rather than simply being the first to release them at an attractive price.


7. Personal data breaches will have more ramifications. The volume of personal information stolen in the result of breaches is growing exponentially. The chances that this data will be used for nefarious purposes are extremely high. Among possible unlawful actions will be blackmailing, extortion and identity theft.

To successfully enable data protection in 2019, organizations must gain full visibility into the sensitive data they store, focus on their core assets and pay attention to emerging technologies that might help them automate IT security processes to mitigate the InfoSec skills shortage.
Steve Dickson, CEO of Netwrix