Cybersecurity Must Be Folded into Every Layer of Infrastructure
As businesses combat the ever-changing threat landscape, it’s time to reimagine cybersecurity architecture from the ground up. As Palo Alto Networks CEO Nikesh Arora explained in his keynote session, IT leaders cannot keep putting Band-Aids on problems. It’s no longer “a matter of compliance but a strategic imperative,” notes a Palo Alto Networks survey, “What’s Next in Cyber: A Global Executive Pulse Check.” Incorporating security at this level will be difficult but ultimately will make defenses more consistent and set the stage for a modernized, platform-oriented approach.
Cybersecurity Will Continue to Be a High-Priority Investment
According to the survey, 68 percent of companies expect a significant increase in cyber budgets come 2023. But where should CEOs allocate these dollars? Experts recommend investing in 5G networks, the Internet of Things and AI to improve operational efficiency.
DISCOVER: How IT leaders are reflecting on the biggest cybersecurity threats of 2022.
AI-Led SecOps Is the Future
Securing data is a top concern for executives. For Nir Zuk, Palo Alto Networks founder and CTO, securing data starts with deploying artificial intelligence and machine learning in SecOps. Right now, there are too many security threats per second, and no human can handle them all. Zuk laid out a vision for an AI-led, human-overseen system that accelerates early detection of threats.
Participants gathered for a breakout session at Ignite ’22.
Fewer Security Tools, More Platform Consolidation
Organizations have too many tools and not enough consolidation. Managing 10-plus vendors creates security gaps, making it easier for hackers. On average, organizations use 366 unique apps to manage cyberattacks, according to the Palo Alto Networks 2022 global survey.
Arora added that a single customer may have more than 30 cybersecurity services or apps. “We as an industry put the onus on the customer to integrate all these apps together. But that only increases the chance of error and disruption,” he said.
FIND OUT: How organizations hope to achieve comprehensive zero trust.
Reducing the number of security solutions is a shared goal. That’s why Palo Alto Networks presented a new unified security option, Cortex XDR. This technology eases every step of detection and response by gathering and integrating, all in one place, security data from multiple sources. Cortex XDR has been endorsed by Gartner and Forrester for its ability to break down security silos and fight cyberattacks with AI. Experts predict that more companies will start to consolidate their security services in favor of unified platforms.
Why Women May Solve the Cybersecurity Staffing Shortage
Even with the help of AI-led SecOps teams, there’s still a sizable staffing shortage in IT security, with more than 3.5 million cybersecurity roles standing vacant, according to Cybersecurity Ventures. Hiring women is a great way to close the gender gap. As Wendi Whitmore, senior vice president of Palo Alto Network’s Unit 42 explained, “If the goal is to out-innovate our attackers, then leaders and hiring managers need to be thinking about cultivating a diverse cross-section of intelligent people.”
