Shlomo Kramer, founder and CEO of Cato Networks, sees cloud platforms boosting security, options for enterprises
Editor’s Note: With 2016 now upon us, RCR Wireless News has gathered predictions from leading industry analysts and executives on what they expect to see in the new year.
The security skills shortage will force mid-sized enterprises to simplify: Small businesses and mid-level enterprises, in particular, do not have the security resources or the skilled staff to combat advanced threats. Historically, these organizations have invested in point solutions to automate some aspects of network security, which are costly and time-consuming to manage. In 2016, companies will turn to cloud-based, converged platforms, offered as a managed service that will bundle both strong security capabilities and expertise. Delivered through the cloud, these solutions will help businesses achieve competencies and effective defenses that were previously available only to large enterprises.
Cloud-based security will gain traction as cyberattacks increase: The new generation of cloud-based services will offer better threat visibility, shared intelligence across customers and agile software that enables rapid adaptation to emerging threats. For the first time, enterprises will have an alternative to disjointed, on-premise security solutions that are delivered as hardware appliances.
Network and security admins will slowly kick their hardware addictions: The dissolving network perimeter has created severe challenges in terms of capacity, manageability, adaptability and coverage of IT security appliances. In 2016, businesses will realize that to address these challenges they’ll need to reduce their reliance on security appliances and cut down the “appliance sprawl.” In 2016, IT organizations will need to securely support an increasingly cloud-centric and mobile-first workforce – a strategic goal not aligned with an appliance-based network security model designed for fixed locations and a static workforce.
Hackers will target employees using social engineering tactics and mobile: Tried and tested attack vectors like “spear phishing” will never go away as long as they continue to work. But mobile-based threats will grow in sophistication with a continued focus on defeating app store vetting processes by attacking the developer supply chain and support systems.
New cloud connectivity options will level the playing field for mid-sized enterprises: As more companies turn to the cloud to solve business problems, the cloud will emerge as a new connectivity platform. With MPLS being cost-prohibitive for mid-sized companies and unmanaged Internet connections too unreliable for business-critical applications, high quality WAN connectivity options are very limited for mid-size businesses. A new paradigm for WAN connectivity is still sorely missing, but 2016 will see more options for cost-effective cloud connectivity.
