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GhostWatch Named Winner of the Coveted Global InfoSec Awards during RSA Conference 2023

GhostWatch Twice Named a Winner of the Coveted Global InfoSec Awards during RSA Conference 2023

GhostWatch Wins “Next Gen Managed Compliance and Next Gen Managed Security Service Provider” IN 11th Annual Global InfoSec Awards at #RSAC 2023

SAN FRANCISCO (BUSINESSWIRE) APRIL 24, 2023 – GhostWatch, a leading provider of managed compliance and security services, is proud to announce we have won the following awards from Cyber Defense Magazine (CDM), the industry’s leading electronic information security magazine:

“Next Gen Managed Compliance”

“Next Gen Managed Security Service Provider (MSSP)”

Ghostwatch helps clients build trust and confidence. Backed by industry-leading technology, our highly skilled team of experts delivers world-class service 24/7. For almost two decades we have helped clients meet their security and compliance objectives. GhostWatch serves clients across multiple industries, in the United States and worldwide.

We’re thrilled and humbled that GhostWatch has been recognized as the “Next Gen” leader for both Managed Security and Managed Compliance. Receiving two of the most prestigious and coveted cybersecurity awards is a testament to our team and the quality of our offerings. We look forward to continuing to serve our clients with the best value for money service and technology,” said Trevor Horwitz, CEO.

“GhostWatch embodies three major features we judges look for to become winners: understanding tomorrow’s threats, today, providing a cost-effective solution and innovating in unexpected ways that can help mitigate cyber risk and get one step ahead of the next breach,” said Gary S. Miliefsky, Publisher of Cyber Defense Magazine.

About GhostWatch

GhostWatch, a TrustNet Company, has helped clients secure their information systems for almost two decades. As a leading provider of managed security, GhostWatch serves clients across multiple industries, in the United States, and around the world.

About the Judging

The judges are CISSP, FMDHS, CEH, certified security professionals who voted based on their independent review of the company submitted materials on the website of each submission including but not limited to data sheets, white papers, product literature and other market variables. CDM has a flexible philosophy to find more innovative players with new and unique technologies, than the one with the most customers or money in the bank. CDM is always asking “What’s Next?” so we are looking for best of breed, next-generation InfoSec solutions.

About Cyber Defense Magazine

Business Continuity Best Practices

What Is Business Continuity Policy?

In simple terms, business continuity ensures that your business can continue in the event of an emergency or disaster. It might be due to a flood destroying your premises or a fire taking out your servers. It could even be extreme weather shutting down public utilities to your area, meaning you lose power and water.

Business continuity policy is a set of rules and procedures that provide guidance for preparing the organization in case of an emergency. Suppose you don’t have an established business continuity plan. In that case, anyone who has ever experienced significant disruption to their routine can tell you why it’s essential. Employees can feel stressed out and anxious, customers can feel betrayed if you cannot fulfill orders on time, and a bad reputation is difficult to deal with in the long term.

Best Practices for Effective Business Continuity

There are several steps you can take to prepare for an unforeseen event:

See what departments are most at risk.
Create a communication plan for employees and customers.
Assess your vendor’s business continuity plans.

Here are some steps to help you develop a business continuity policy for your organization.

Conduct a Business Risk Assessment

The first step in creating an effective business continuity policy is to conduct a risk assessment. It will make sure you identify all the potential threats and hazards that could affect your company’s operation ability. Audit your existing processes and procedures, as well as consider any ongoing trends that might impact your daily operations. It could include factors such as increasing crime rates in your area, a growing number of traffic accidents on the route to your offices, or an increasingly unstable political climate.

Consider the High-Risk Areas of Your Business

It’s crucial to consider high-risk areas of your business and determine what steps need to be taken to keep them safe. For example, if you have a highly valuable IT system, you may need to ensure that more than one person knows how to operate it. That will allow you to keep the system running even if your primary IT expert is unavailable. It’s also essential to think about things like fire alarms and security systems and the potential impact on key staff members such as receptionists or sales workers.

Plan for the Worst

Plan for the worst-case scenario, and ensure that you have a contingency plan in place should disaster strike. That may include details of where your key documents are located and how you will access them if necessary, such as storing hard copies at home or in the safety deposit box. It may also be worth having a backup plan for your backup and ensuring you have multiple copies of all important items such as insurance documents and financial information.

Make a Business Disaster Plan

Once you’ve identified all the potential threats and hazards that could affect your business operations, you need to make a disaster plan. That will ensure you have an immediate response in place for when disaster strikes. Your plan should include a designated team to handle the emergency, as well as procedures for safely evacuating all personnel and minimizing damage to your business’s physical assets.

Create a Business Continuity Policy

Once you’ve conducted your risk assessment and created your disaster plan, you need to create a business continuity policy. It should be a formal document that outlines your company’s approach to handling emergencies and disasters. It might include details such as how you will conduct regular risk assessments, the key objectives of your disaster plan, and what steps you’ll take when disaster strikes.

Select a Backup Site

Another critical aspect of creating an effective business continuity policy is choosing a suitable backup site to operate from. It should be as close as possible to your usual premises but in a different physical location. That will ensure you can quickly move across if disaster strikes and maintain as little downtime as possible.

Keep Backup Copies of Data in the Cloud

The cloud is one of the best ways to ensure that data is kept safe and secure. That may involve storing documents such as invoices, sales receipts, or company information in an online “cloud” storage system. It’s also possible to keep backup copies of images and other files online using a web storage service. That will allow you to access them from any device with an internet connection, which is very convenient.

Share Your Business Continuity Plan with Staff

You must share your business continuity plan with all your employees. That should include details such as the location of your backup site and a list of contacts to whom they can turn if no one is available from your designated team. Once this step is completed, it’s essential to make sure everyone is aware of their responsibilities and the importance of their role in ensuring business continuity. Although your disaster plan should explain what to do in an emergency, it’s crucial that you also train your staff on resilience and business continuity. That can include regular fire drills, for example, so that everyone knows what to do in the event of a fire. It also means regularly testing your business continuity plan so that employees are aware of their responsibilities and know how to respond when disaster strikes.

Remember to Test and Review Your Plan Regularly

Finally, it’s essential to test your business continuity plan regularly to ensure that it works properly and everything still functions correctly. For example, you may want to simulate different scenarios and see how you would react in real-life situations. It will help uncover any weaknesses or areas that need improving. So, make it part of your business continuity plan to run these types of tests at least once every few months. It’s also crucial that you review your business continuity plan regularly. It would be best if you did this annually at the very least and immediately following any changes to your business.

Conclusion

A business continuity plan is a document that outlines your company’s approach to handling emergencies and disasters. It should include details such as how you will conduct regular risk assessments, the key objectives of your disaster plan, and what steps you’ll take when disaster strikes. The importance of having an effective business continuity policy cannot be understated because it can help minimize downtime in the event of any emergency or natural disaster.

Therefore, you must put your business continuity policy into place as soon as possible. Don’t forget to regularly test and review your plan and conduct regular risk assessments. It will ensure it’s always up-to-date and ready to handle any emergency or disruptive event.

Top Managed Security Services Company 2021

Even after more than a year into the pandemic, the business world is still struggling to address the cybersecurity challenges that it has introduced. As organizations are rapidly bolstering their digital transformation efforts to seamlessly run their everyday operation, cloud systems and servers are becoming lucrative targets for cybercriminals. To this end, businesses need a partner who can holistically address all their security-related concerns.

Enter GhostWatch.

Enter GhostWatch is an industry-leading managed security services provider that empowers businesses to build trusted relationships with their partners, customers, and employees. The company caters to private and public, mid-sized to large organizations across various industries worldwide, including healthcare, financial services, contact centers, energy, and utilities, to name a few. “Managed security services have largely evolved into managed detection and response services. With our improved tools and evolved approach, we can detect cyber threats and respond quickly before events turn catastrophic,” mentions Trevor Horwitz, Founder and CISO, GhostWatch. “We offer our technology and expertise to clients and counter the growing cyber security threats”.

At its core, GhostWatch follows a threefold approach comprising of detecting, containing, and defeating attacks. The company’s methodology involves building a solid foundation by analyzing clients’ network architecture and conducting a comprehensive discovery process.

The process enables GhostWatch to identify the assets in the network and then classify them based on their value to the overall business environment. It also filters out the vulnerabilities from the architecture, ultimately leaving clients with a focused set of data differentiating real threats from false positives. With such comprehensive cyber security strategies in place, GhostWatch has gleaned numerous success stories and much client appreciation. For instance, when a California-based company felt the pressure of meeting PCI compliance requirements, it found GhostWatch’s expertise and software suite to be the most trustworthy. “The client was under tremendous pressure to comply with the PCI guidelines within a tight deadline to get an audit. Without it, they would have been otherwise prohibited from accepting payment cards, which constituted 95 percent of their revenues.

They required an on-premise solution and we installed both our hardware and software within their environment in record time,” narrates Horwitz. Soon, the company passed the PCI audit with flying colors. In another instance, an early-stage company had significant gaps in its security approach while negotiating a large contract with a well-known Fortune 500 company. To resolve security gaps, the company needed a cloud-based managed security service and reached out to GhostWatch. Within just a few days GhostWatch had the managed security system running and enabled the client to win the deal with the Fortune 500 company.

Even after garnering huge number of successful customer stories, GhostWatch is still going strong discovering its potential through an aggressive roadmap. Being well-settled in the U.S., GhostWatch expanded its footprint into the European market several years ago, reaching more clients and attracting more technical talent to its team. Having new minds in the team has empowered the company to cater to clients 24/7 and deliver significant value. “Our experience, talent, and technology are the key drivers of the excellent value we deliver to clients. Our team approach propels us to collaborate with other technology companies, including AT&T, AWS, Google, and Microsoft, and that ensures the befit security outcomes for our clients,” concludes Horwitz.

Originally published by Enterprise Security Magazine.

GhostWatch Named Winner of the Coveted Global InfoSec Awards during RSA Conference 2022

GhostWatch Wins “Editor’s Choice in Managed Security Service Provider (MSSP)”IN 10th Annual Global InfoSec Awards at #RSAC 2022

SAN FRANCISCO (BUSINESSWIRE) JUNE 6, 2022 – GhostWatch is proud to announce we have won the following award from Cyber Defense Magazine (CDM), the industry’s leading electronic information security magazine:

“Editor’s Choice in Managed Security Service Provider (MSSP)”

“We’re thrilled to receive one of the most prestigious and coveted cybersecurity awards in the world from Cyber Defense Magazine, during their 10^th anniversary as an independent cybersecurity news and information provider. We knew the competition would be tough and with top judges who are leading infosec experts from around the globe, we couldn’t be more pleased,” said Trevor Horwitz CISO of GhostWatch.

We scoured the globe looking for cybersecurity innovators that could make a huge difference and potentially help turn the tide against the exponential growth in cyber crime. GhostWatch is absolutely worthy of this coveted award and consideration for deployment in your environment,” said Yan Ross, Editor of Cyber Defense Magazine.

About GhostWatch

About CDM InfoSec Awards

This is Cyber Defense Magazine’s tenth year of honoring InfoSec innovators from around the Globe. Our submission requirements are for any startup, early stage, later stage, or public companies in the INFORMATION SECURITY (INFOSEC) space who believe they have a unique and compelling value proposition for their product or service. Learn more at www.cyberdefenseawards.com

About the Judging

About Cyber Defense Magazine

Cyber Defense Magazine is the premier source of cyber security news and information for InfoSec professions in business and government. We are managed and published by and for ethical, honest, passionate information security professionals. Our mission is to share cutting-edge knowledge, real-world stories and awards on the best ideas, products and services in the information technology industry. We deliver electronic magazines every month online for free, and special editions exclusively for the RSA Conferences. CDM is a proud member of the Cyber Defense Media Group. Learn more about us at https://www.cyberdefensemagazine.com and visit https://www.cyberdefensetv.com and https://www.cyberdefenseradio.com to see and hear some of the most informative interviews of many of these winning company executives. Join a webinar at https://www.cyberdefensewebinars.com and realize that infosec knowledge is power.

The importance of cyber security solutions for your growing enterprise

According to the latest research, even though 77% of cyber assaults target small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), almost half of small and medium-sized businesses don’t perceive cybercrime as a threat. It’s critical to safeguard your developing business against Internet risks, but taking time and resources away from expansion initiatives takes time and resources.

Luckily, several affordable and effective cyber security solutions are available for SMEs. The key is to find a solution that fits the specific needs of your business.

Fortify your cyber defenses

Cybercrimes can include a wide range of actions, from phishing scams that trick employees into revealing confidential information to malware that encrypts your data and holds it for ransom. The damage caused by these attacks can be significant, resulting in lost productivity, revenue, and customers. In fact, SMEs that experience a data breach can expect to lose an average of $120,000.

That’s why it’s so important to fortify your cyber defenses. And there are a number of steps you can take to do so, including:

Educate your employees. Make sure your employees are aware of the dangers of cybercrime and how to avoid it. This includes being cautious about clicking on links or opening attachments from unknown senders, not responding to phishing emails, and using strong passwords.
Implement security solutions. There are a number of security solutions available that can help protect your business.
Backup your data. If your data is lost or stolen, having a backup can help minimize the damage. Make sure to back up your data regularly and store the backups.

Effective defense against targeted attacks

The most significant feature of targeted assaults is specifically designed for your business. The intruder understands your weak spots, recognizes your critical assets, and devises a strategy to achieve their objectives.

Accelerates response with actionable intelligence

In many cases, the first step in an effective response is identifying that an incident has occurred. This can be difficult, as attackers will go to great lengths to conceal their activities.

However, effective detection requires more than just technology—it also requires analysts who understand how to interpret the data and take appropriate action.

GhostWatch managed security is an ideal platform for those looking for 24/7 cybersecurity for their small business. Managed security services for small companies and even start-ups are a simple, affordable way to protect your business against the growing threat of cybercrime.

Why cybersecurity is important for small businesses

As a small business owner, you might think that cybercrime is something that only affects big businesses. After all, you’re not as high-profile as a Fortune 500 company, so why would hackers be interested in targeting your business?

However, those small businesses are actually at a higher risk of being targeted by hackers. This is because small businesses often don’t have the same level of cybersecurity as larger businesses, making them an easy target.

In addition, small businesses are often targeted by hackers because they can be used as a stepping stone to larger businesses. Hackers will target small businesses to gain access to the larger businesses they’re doing business with.

How managed security services work

Managed security services are essential for organizations to ensure that their network infrastructure stays secure. The functions of managed security services include daily vulnerability scans, full-system configuration audits, and network testing.

For example, managed security service providers may scan all internet-facing systems on an organization’s network to identify vulnerabilities so they can be addressed. These services typically include regular vulnerability scanning, corrective patching, and security hardening. When vulnerabilities are identified, the managed security service provider works with their customers to develop a plan of action to resolve them.

Is a managed security service provider necessary for your business?

The most immediate benefit of moving to a managed security environment is that you save money by no longer needing internal IT staff responsible for security. These employees can now be redeployed into your organization’s core business functions. Downtime associated with security incidents is reduced significantly since external resources are brought in to resolve issues quickly, minimizing or avoiding loss in productivity.

Your organization’s security landscape will probably change significantly over the course of two to three years. With an internal staff, you could potentially find yourself managing multiple support teams for different types of devices and operating systems. Historically, it has been difficult to monitor the security posture of diverse computing infrastructures actively. With a managed security service, your organization can now be more proactive in identifying vulnerabilities and mitigating risks.

What is a managed security service provider?

A managed security service provider is a business entity that provides information technology services to other organizations for a fee. The term will typically apply to a company that focuses exclusively on providing these services instead of a computer or Internet access provider who may offer them as part of their overall service offering. These companies often focus on one particular area, such as vulnerability management, intrusion detection, networking security, or cloud-based security.

To summarize the above paragraph in layman terms, Managed Security Service Provider is a company that provides security services to other companies for a fee.

Usually, they focus on one particular security area, such as vulnerability management, intrusion detection, networking security, or cloud-based security.

The core services provided by managed service providers are in general three types:

Monitoring services for IT infrastructure availability and performance related to the information system. It is done frequently with automated tools but can also be done manually with security experts who check the network and workstations.
Remediation services, where the managed service provider is called when IT infrastructure availability or performance related to information systems have been compromised. That can be done in several different ways. Most commonly, it involves providing a contact person for a customer with a predefined incident response plan, or it is done by the security experts of the MSP stepping in themselves.
Consulting services are performed when a customer is reluctant to have their staff working on information security issues or lacks the skill set required for effective information security management. This service often includes developing a Security Operations Centre (SOC) where the MSP takes care of all security matters, or it may simply include advising on what needs to be done. That can be either an ad-hoc service, where the customer has specific questions that require answers, or they may have a cooperative agreement with the MSP where consulting services are provided as needed.

Conclusion

By maintaining a managed security services agreement with a managed security service provider, your organization can enjoy peace of mind and productivity from knowing that an experienced group is handling the day-to-day tasks of running a comprehensive security audit. The managed security service provides 24/7/365 monitoring, forensics, and maintenance to protect your systems.

What is Managed Security?

Imagine that you are the owner of one of the finest jewelry stores in Beverly Hills. You would never allow your shop window displays to remain glittering with diamonds after your sales associates went home for the evening, would you? Nor would you leave your doors unlocked, with no guards or security cameras surveilling every inch of your property.

If you are a decision-maker in an organization that stores, manages, or transmits data or possesses other important digital assets, be just as vigilant in safeguarding your precious information, systems, hardware, and software. Failure to do so can lead to customer abandonment, financial consequences, and a devastating blow to your brand and reputation.

The stakes are high for businesses like yours. Cybercriminals are engaged 24/7 in trying to figure out how to steal, sabotage, or otherwise compromise the information you collect, store, process, and transmit across devices and networks. Cybersecurity, particularly when it comes in the form of managed security, is one of the most effective ways your organization can protect its crucial assets from digital criminals.

With each passing day, the security threat landscape is becoming more complex and dangerous. The situation has gotten so severe that most companies elect to entrust their cybersecurity to a dedicated third-party company whose sole purpose is to protect systems and digital assets.

Managed security service providers (MSSPs) accomplish this task by helping to create a comprehensive set of procedures, practices, and technological tools that work together to shield your systems and information from attack. This involves taking care of your Security Incident and Event Management (SIEM) tools, intrusion prevention and detection systems, firewalls, anti-virus software, compliance management, and more.

On an ongoing basis, the company will provide comprehensive monitoring and threat management to detect potential breaches, prevent cyber intrusions, and mount a coordinated response if an incident occurs.

If your company lacks the security expertise, resources, or time to monitor and manage the ongoing barrage of thwarted and actual attacks that criminals mount every day, investing in managed security services will be one of the wisest investments your organization can make.

Just as you would never leave your diamonds unlocked and accessible to thieves, you cannot afford to allow criminals access to your precious data and systems. The stakes could not be higher. Your company’s reputation and success hinge upon top-shelf cybersecurity.

Cyberattacks Can Disrupt Your Small Business

In recent years, major corporations have been the target of devastating cyberattacks. While each corporate cyberattack resulted in millions of dollars in losses, most news reports fail to mention the numerous data breaches that affect much smaller targets: small businesses. According to Verizon’s Data Breach Investigations Report, 43% of breaches affected SMBs.

While the damage caused by a cyberattack can be significant, many small businesses believe that they are not at risk. This mistaken belief is often due to a lack of understanding of the types of attacks and how they work.

With this in mind, we’ve created a primer on some of the most common types of cyberattacks. By understanding how these attacks work, you can take steps to protect your business.

1. Denial of Service (DoS) Attacks

A denial of service attack attempts to make a computer or network resource unavailable to its intended users. DoS attacks accomplish this by flooding the target with traffic or requests for data until the system is overwhelmed and can no longer respond to legitimate requests.

2. Phishing Attacks

Phishing is a type of social engineering attack in which the attacker attempts to trick the victim into revealing sensitive information or downloading malware. Phishing attacks are often carried out via email, with the attacker sending a message that appears to be from a trusted source. The message may contain a link that leads to a malicious website or an attachment that contains malware.

3. Malware Attacks

Malware is short for malicious software and refers to any software specifically designed to cause damage to a computer system. Malware can be installed on a system without the user’s knowledge and can be used to steal data, lock the user out of the system, or even take control of the system.

4. SQL Injection Attacks

SQL injection attacks are a type of attack that exploits vulnerabilities in SQL databases. By entering specially crafted text into a web form or URI, the attacker can execute arbitrary SQL commands on the database server. That can allow the attacker to access sensitive data, modify or delete data, or even take control of the server.

5. Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) Attacks

A distributed denial of service attack is similar to a regular DoS attack. Still, instead of using a single computer to generate the traffic, the attacker uses a network of computers, known as a botnet. Botnets can be huge, with some estimates suggesting that there are tens of millions of infected computers worldwide.

By understanding these common types of cyberattacks, you can take steps to protect your business. Implementing strong security measures and awareness training for your employees can go a long way in preventing your business from becoming a victim.

Why do cyberhackers go after small businesses?

According to the National Cyber Security Alliance, 43% of cyberattacks target small businesses. There are several reasons for this:

Small businesses often have weaker security measures than larger businesses. That can make them an easier target.
Small businesses may not have the resources to respond to a cyberattack appropriately.
Small businesses are often seen as an easier target than large businesses and may be less likely to have cyber insurance.
Small businesses are often more reliant on IT systems than larger businesses, making them more vulnerable to malware and other attacks.
Small businesses may not have the same awareness about cyberattacks as larger businesses.

If you are a small business owner, it is essential to be aware of these risks and take steps to protect your business. Implementing strong security measures, training your employees, and having cyber insurance can help you reduce your risk of becoming a cyberattack victim.

Cybersecurity best practices

To protect against malware, small companies should implement a software-based solution. Small businesses should also use certain technological best practices and rules to fortify vulnerabilities.

Use strong passwords and change them regularly.
Install updates and patches for your operating system and software as soon as they become available.
Use a firewall to protect your network from unauthorized access.
Train your employees in cybersecurity best practices, such as not opening email attachments from unknown senders or clicking on links in suspicious emails.
Back up your data regularly and store the backups securely.
Practice your incident response plan, so you know what to do in the event of a cyberattack.
Invest in cyber security services to help offset the costs of a breach.

By following these best practices, you can make it much more difficult for cybercriminals to target your business.

5 Reasons Why You Need Incident Response as a Service

Incident Response as a Service (IRaaS) is an outsourced service provided by Security Operation Centers (SOCs). It provides expertise in executing specific security incident response tasks. That could be all the way from providing the first line of defense through detection, to sharing intelligence with other critical infrastructure providers and law enforcement agencies.

It may also include providing reports about the incident and assistance in the investigation.

In short, IRaaS is a service that can significantly help you fight against advanced targeted attacks (ATAs). Incident Response as a Service is an important tool to have in your security strategy. Here are 5 reasons why you need this service for managing situations where malware or other security incidents are detected.

Reason #1: Benefits for the team

Incident Response is a Service that helps your team with the early detection of threats and provides guidance on how to respond to them efficiently. You can create playbooks with step-by-step instructions that are accessible 24/7 within your private cloud instance, enabling your team to address security incidents rapidly.

There is no need for team members to spend valuable time researching solutions since ready-to-use guidance is readily available.

Reason #2: Actionable Intelligence

Your private cloud instance will have access to threat intelligence, including technical details about malware or other threats detected on your network and how they operate. That enables your Incident Response team to understand the incident better and decide on appropriate countermeasures.

Reason #3: Rapid Time of Containment & Response

Time is of the essence in security incidents, as fast containment can limit the impact and damage caused by intrusions and malware outbreaks. By using an automated and standardized process for incident response, you can contain threats faster and reduce the negative impact on your business.

Reason #4: Multi-Layered Protection

When you subscribe to Incident Response as a Service, you automatically gain access to a number of security layers designed to provide maximum protection for your organization from known and emerging threats.

In addition to scanning for malware signatures, it enables automated investigation of suspicious files for indicators of compromise and provides detailed reporting on potential incidents.

Reason #5: Security Expertise

A security incident is always a team-based effort, which involves collaboration between IT personnel, security staff, and management. Incident Response as a Service enables you to tap into the expertise of your team members across different departments who are invested in protecting your organization’s data.

Multi-layered protection coupled with expert guidance ensures that your organization’s IT infrastructure continues to run smoothly without disruption.

Conclusion

The Incident Response as a Service enables organizations to have a private cloud instance for automated playbooks, actionable intelligence, rapid containment and response, multi-layered protection, and security expertise. All of this can be done without any additional cost or setup. For more information on how the Incident Response as a Service works, please get in touch with us to schedule a free demo.

3 Cloud Security Trends to Watch in 2022

Many organizations have cloud security on their minds going into 2022. In April 2021, Gartner predicted that global end-user spending on cloud management and security services would reach $18 million the following year. That’s a growth of 30% over the previous two years.

The report, based on a survey of over 550 global IT and security professionals, found that the “convergence of cloud and networking technologies is making it easier for attackers to infiltrate organizations” without detection. That prompted more than 70% of respondents to say their companies had increased spending on network security tools in the past year.

The security concept in the cloud is also growing more important, as greater concerns about data privacy and policies like GDPR come into play. In 2022 we expect to see a greater convergence between cloud computing systems and on-premises solutions.

Organizations can benefit from all of those capabilities while still being able to continue operating under laws like GDPR that are designed to protect privacy. It’s clear that security in the cloud is an industry-wide concern. Fortunately, there are ways you can start protecting your organization today.

Trend #1: Cybersecurity Mesh

By 2022, Gartner predicts that “98% of security architecture will incorporate some type of on-demand or on-premises mesh infrastructure platform.”

In other words, cloud cybersecurity will get a lot more complex in the coming years – and your organization will have a tougher time keeping up.

However, a mesh infrastructure platform will provide a solid foundation for managing your security tools and policies in the future.

Security and risk modeling platforms have been on the rise for quite some time now, and that’s not expected to change in 2022. According to some predictions, by 2022, 97% of security and risk modeling platforms will monitor multiple cloud services.

A security and risk modeling platform will allow you to monitor your organization’s cloud activity more closely in a cohesive manner. It’ll also provide greater visibility into the potential vulnerabilities within – and outside of – your cloud infrastructure.

Trend #2: Hybrid and Multi-Cloud Environments

Organizations are looking for ways to cut costs without sacrificing control, and one of the best ways to do that is with a multi-cloud strategy. By 2022, the average organization will utilize three different cloud providers simultaneously.

While this can help mitigate risk and streamline your organization’s cloud use, it also presents a challenge when it comes to security. By introducing multiple entry points, you’ll increase your organization’s risk of data breaches and system vulnerabilities.

However, the good news is there are ways to get around this issue — and maintain complete control over your data and processes at all times.

A security-as-a-service solution can help you effectively monitor and manage your organization’s cloud infrastructure from a single pane of glass. That will give you greater visibility into your cloud environment while also providing access to security and compliance policies that can be deployed across multiple clouds and on-premises systems.

Trend #3: New Cloud Security Approaches

While we’re on the topic of data privacy and protection, let’s talk about two new approaches to cloud security.

By 2022, most organizations will be incorporating app usage and behavior analytics into their cloud security and risk and compliance strategies. That will give you a more holistic view of your organization’s cloud activity and allow you to monitor and protect sensitive data more effectively.

For example, AI-driven threat hunting will enable organizations to identify threats within their cloud infrastructure by moving beyond basic indicators like IP addresses and access logs and instead focusing on behavioral patterns and anomalies.

Importance of Cloud Security in 2022

By 2022, more than half of security budgets for Cloud services will originate with the business units rather than being directed from a centralized IT department. That is a clear indication that organizations are starting to take cloud security into their own hands — and it’s one reason why security-as-a-service is becoming more popular every year.

Having complete visibility into your cloud infrastructure is essential to protecting your most valuable assets. That’s why proactive cloud security solutions are so important — and that’s why companies will continue to seek them out in droves in the years ahead.