In this digital age, all our online activities leave trails. In spite of privacy-related incidents that have affected businesses and individuals alike, very little has gone into formulating policies and practices that govern the handling of data. Regulatory authorities are still trying to catch up with ways to curb cyber attacks as hackers continue to evolve. Organizations worldwide have adopted the following trends in the recent times to tackle cyber crime.

Blockchain is a new technology that has been around for only a decade. Most people associate blockchain technology with cryptocurrency. Although true, it’s a security mechanism at its core. With blockchain technology, a system is set up where no one central entity validates data. Multiple entities in the chain have to verify the credibility of the information through complex mathematical calculations.

This renders data tampering impossible as no entity in the chain can alter data without the permission of its peers. All the data in a chain is compiled into a digital ledger which can be referred to when a need arises. The obvious application of blockchain is in finance where an incorruptible ledger will put an end to any fraudulent transaction. However, blockchain is now used widely in identity management software and healthcare data management. With blockchain, hospitals are now able to share patient records without the risk of a data leak. Blockchain is still in its formative years. However, with constant innovation and increased user base, blockchain will help organizations handle data more securely.

Enterprise networks are built on the foundation of trust. Administrators believe that internal players accessing the network are trustworthy individuals who mean no harm. Though this holds true in most cases, hackers are increasingly masking themselves as employees of the company to gain access into the network.  

The zero trust model follows the policy “trust but verify” thereby eliminating the conception that employees always have good intentions. This is made possible by overseeing factors such as user’s physical location, IP address from which the network is being accessed among many other things. These factors help determine whether the user is actually who they project themselves to be. Companies are now moving to a zero trust model to prevent data leaks and improve their ability to defend themselves from modern cyber threats.

Biometrics are becoming an important authentication model that will occupy an important place in the future of security. Companies have moved to biometric authenticators like fingerprint scans and facial recognition to verify users. Besides being effortless to use, biometrics are secure. Fingerprints and facial data are unique to a user and are difficult to manipulate.

Though many organizations haven’t adopted biometric passwords as the ultimate security solution, they are being increasingly implemented as a second layer of validation in 2-factor authentication tools.  Biometrics and passwords are complementary solutions that enable stronger overall security.

May 25, 2018, marked the beginning of enforcement of GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation), a regulation in the European Union law that aims to give individuals control over their personal data. Until then, organizations did very little to keep up with industry expectations regarding secure storage and handling of personal data.

With the regulation in place, companies now have strict guidelines on the personal data they collect and what they do with it. Organizations are turning towards software solutions that automate the process of auditing and assessment of services that help maintain GDPR compliance. Since the regulation came into effect, companies are more focused on protecting user data.

Technology has enabled misuse, abuse and the exploitation of data for this long. However, it is the very same technology that can help keep the violations in check. Humans just aren’t equipped to deal with things we create anymore. The rate at which we invent new technologies has long surpassed our ability to monitor our creations. But what we can do is to develop something that can. A tool to regulate technology. Artificial intelligence has been showing promising developments in cybersecurity. Developers now understand AI better and can manipulate its workings. The future of cybersecurity might very well rely on AI-human cooperation to safeguard data. Let us hope to find AI solutions being in trend next year.