Resources

• Find us at https://www.cisecurity.org/
• Blog: 2021 Cybersecurity Trends to Prepare For: https://www.cisecurity.org/blog/2021-cybersecurity-trends-to-prepare-for/
• Blog: Where Does Zero Trust Begin and Why is it Important?: https://www.cisecurity.org/blog/where-does-zero-trust-begin-and-why-is-it-important/
• CIS Controls: https://www.cisecurity.org/controls/
• Cybercrime Support Network (CSN: https://cybercrimesupport.org/

2020 was considered “the year like no other”. The industry saw a mass convergence of social issues with cyber issues due to the pandemic, the elections, and the SolarWinds supply chain issue. Cybersecurity resilience was tested and it was crucial that the industry adapt quickly.

With the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in March of 2020 many organizations went fully remote, including CIS. CIS had to be agile and the cybersecurity industry had to adapt to new challenges with a growing remote workforce.

The Trends

Risk management strategies such as ways to identify gaps, how to best implement the CIS Controls, data management, and privacy requirements were the foundations for crisis management.

Ransomware is here to stay as a top cyber threat. It moved from the lone hacker to a capitalist business structure where the software just needs to be purchased and used as opposed to needing to build it yourself.

Zero Trust: Sean uses the analogy of “the castle and the moat”. Today the drawbridge is always open and things are going in and out without the ability to monitor it all. Zero Trust is setting the new tone for security practices.

What the Future (May) Hold

Small Businesses need support: The weight of responsibility to small businesses to accommodate the assessment evaluations for risk management is a huge burden.

A Diminishing Cyber Workforce: There is a growing concern about the shortage of cybersecurity professionals.

The Role of Government: With the change in government, like we have in 2021, there is a change in the way government thinks about priorities.