Artificial Intelligence And The New Normal

Protecting the anywhere workspace

Often described as the backbone behind digital transformation for many Canadian organizations, artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) applications can be found in a multitude of industries. As more and more organizations adopt an anywhere workforce model with AI being at the centre of the conversation, what does this mean for the HR professional?

What’s happening in the Canadian cybersecurity space and what are security leaders saying?
According to Canadian insights from VMware’s 2021 Global Security Insights report, 77% of Canadian organizations surveyed reported that cyber-attacks have increased in the last 12 months. “If an attack were to occur” has become “when an attack occurs,” and with the move to remote work, more organizations are being impacted. In fact, 78% of respondents who suffered a cyber-attack noted that attack frequency increased due to more people working from home.

Financial services organizations faced more attacks compared to other verticals with 88% of respondents from financial services organizations indicating an increase in attacks connected to home working, with an average increase of 33% in total attacks. 
 

The increase in attack frequency and the rapid pivot to remote working means businesses are still not seeing the full picture. Changing employee behaviour, personal devices, and home network use reduce visibility, increasing the likelihood for attacks to go undetected for extended periods of time. Addressing key security issues presented from the move to remote work is more important than ever with attacks growing in sophistication and nature. Instead of locking up systems immediately, attackers are looking to steal data that can be monetized even if no ransom is paid. 

Additionally, AI and ML applications are being used for processes such as onboarding new employees without having a physical person involved. As more organizations adopt AI and ML, it’s imperative that they recognize the risk associated with multiple remote endpoints that cybersecurity teams will need to defend and protect against from malicious actors. 

What’s at stake?
The Covid-19 pandemic has presented many organizations with an excellent opportunity to re-evaluate their cybersecurity strategy. With more organizations moving company data to offsite data centres, moving to hybrid anywhere workspace models, and onboarding remote employees, it’s imperative that Canadian organizations approach cybersecurity intrinsically.

Organizations that fall behind run the risk of critical assets such as employee data or trade secrets falling into the hands of attackers and for sale on the dark web. Once the breach is public, organizations face significant reputational risk and unless the attacker’s presence in the impacted network is fully removed, organizations are likely to be targeted again, especially those who have shown a willingness to pay ransoms. 

AI is the next frontier for business innovation and how organizations must rethink their security strategies
AI is the next frontier for business innovation and as more organizations seek an edge to drive more competitive services, it’s imperative that organizations and employers think critically about how they can securely enable better employee experiences. IT teams have transitioned from securing company-owned desktops for employees working on-site to managing the connection of a multitude of applications running on infrastructure that may or may not be managed, owned, or controlled by the company. What’s important to remember is that the challenge of remote work enables a more fulsome conversation on how professionals can effectively secure their organization and with 58% of organizations agreeing they need to view security differently, it’s time for organizations to reevaluate their security strategy to accommodate the anywhere workforce. 

As organizations chart their path forward, below are three key factors for consideration: 

Deliver security as a distributed service and prioritize visibility: AI applications have accelerated any organization’s digital transformation journey. To protect the anywhere workforce, regardless of the devices and networks workers are using, deliver endpoint and network controls as a distributed service that follows the assets being protected throughout the environment. Better visibility over increased endpoints and workloads delivers contextual insight and situational intelligence to help defenders prioritize and remediate risk with confidence. 

Conduct regular threat hunting: The first step of a multistage ransomware campaign is gaining undetected access to networks. Regular threat hunting can detect silent incursions and the presence of adversaries in the environment by spotting anomalous behaviour.

Engage with an incident response partner: It is not a matter of if, but when organizations will be targeted, so it is essential to be prepared. Engage with an IR partner to devise a response plan and retain them to put it into action when needed. This should include post-incident remediation and analysis to root out any remaining adversary presence and avoid repeat attacks.

The new normal requires a new approach to security strategy. The anywhere workforce is here to stay, making it imperative that employees can work safely and productively no matter wherever they are, on any device, and on any application. The last year has shown how vulnerable Canadian organizations are and the importance of cybersecurity to the resiliency and continuity of business operations. With the focus on the anywhere workspace, organizations are in an excellent place to take this opportunity to move beyond legacy infrastructure to a unified cybersecurity approach.

For further insights, read the full VMware Canadian Security Insights report 2021 here. 

David Quevedo is the VP, Global HR Services & Technology at VMware. Visit www.vmware.com  Connect David Quevedo