BOOZ ALLEN HAMILTON
Ultimately , an effective security provider needs to examine a broad picture to assess weaknesses across the extended environment , and then apply the correct solutions , according to Gaidhane . “ The digital ecosystem is making everything more connected , which means that as cyber defenders , we have to look at the broader context of being able to connect the dots between all of these business environments to be able to stay ahead . Companies are connected in a variety of ways , but even within companies , their sub-businesses are connected via means that traditionally weren ' t looked at as being connected .”
The future of cybersecurity As industry experts continue to play cat-andmouse games with increasingly sophisticated hackers , the cybersecurity industry has its work cut out . According to Statistica , the number of data breaches in the US alone in 2021 totalled 1001 cases .
To put that into perspective , this translates to over 155.8 million individuals being affected by data exposures occurring that year , including accidental revelation of sensitive information due to less-than-adequate information security – amounting to a whopping US $ 4.2bn in damages . According to reports , between 2015 and 2021 , fiscal cost wrought by cyber attacks has also increased from $ 1bn to $ 6.9bn in 2021 .
As the numbers continue to rise in line with increased connectivity , bleedingedge technology is the only possible solution , says Gaidhane . “ In the future , I think we ' ll see more use of automation , more use of analytics , advanced analytics , more use of machine learning , and even AI by the attackers , which will increase the specification , volume and velocity of these sophisticated attacks . We see them on and off now , because it ' s a combination of humans potentially using code and other things to do it .”
Looking to the future , he says that providers are going to have to continuously raise the bar and enhance defences to allow businesses to focus on their more complex business challenges , rather than being distracted by security issues .
“ The attackers only have to get this right once . But , as defenders , we have to get it right every single time . So , Booz Allen ' s approach to cybersecurity is honed from decades of serving alongside the most sophisticated global enterprises and government agencies . As we evolve our
50 September 2022