BeyondTrust Security Predictions Highlight Cloud Security and Biometrics

The access management specialist BeyondTrust has issued a series of security predictions for the next five years. The company highlighted the threats facing enterprises and consumers, as well as the steps that cybersecurity providers will take to stop them leading up to 2025.

Most notably, BeyondTrust suggests that people should pay more attention to the cloud-based auto-update mechanisms that have become commonplace in many software applications. Most users trust their apps, and consequently take their safety for granted. As a result, auto-updates may become an increasingly popular target for cybercriminals looking to escape detection.   

At the other end of the spectrum, there will be a similar risk for people using legacy operating systems like Windows 7, which will phase out in January of 2020 and will no longer receive support from its developer. Until those systems are replaced, the lack of updates will expose millions of users to malware threats that contemporary systems have already addressed.

BeyondTrust also expects to see a rise in identity fraud as cybercriminals try to use individual credentials to gain access to larger systems. Those efforts will include DeepFakes and other techniques that compromise biometric credentials, in addition to more traditional methods like email phishing.

To address those issues, BeyondTrust predicts that more companies will adopt passwordless access management systems, including those that utilize biometric authentication. Facial recognition will be especially popular in that regard, and will be used to enable a range of different transactions. However, that will raise its own concerns about data privacy.

“The more CISOs and other IT staff understand the security implications of evolving technologies, the better prepared they are to make the right investments for their business,” said BeyondTrust CTO and CISO Morey Haber. “It’s the difference between being proactive versus reactive, and having a security approach that enables new technologies and business opportunities, versus one that clamps down on them.”

BeyondTrust also anticipates a shift towards cloud architecture and next-generation ARM processors in the next five years.   

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November 1, 2019 – by Eric Weiss