Security Magazine logo
search
cart
facebook twitter linkedin youtube
  • Sign In
  • Create Account
  • Sign Out
  • My Account
Security Magazine logo
  • NEWS
    • Security Newswire
    • Technologies & Solutions
  • MANAGEMENT
    • Leadership Management
    • Enterprise Services
    • Security Education & Training
    • Logical Security
    • Security & Business Resilience
    • Profiles in Excellence
  • PHYSICAL
    • Access Management
    • Fire & Life Safety
    • Identity Management
    • Physical Security
    • Video Surveillance
    • Case Studies (Physical)
  • CYBER
    • Cybersecurity News
    • More
  • BLOG
  • COLUMNS
    • Cyber Tactics
    • Leadership & Management
    • Security Talk
    • Career Intelligence
    • Leader to Leader
    • Cybersecurity Education & Training
  • EXCLUSIVES
    • Annual Guarding Report
    • Most Influential People in Security
    • The Security Benchmark Report
    • The Security Leadership Issue
    • Top Guard and Security Officer Companies
    • Top Cybersecurity Leaders
    • Women in Security
  • SECTORS
    • Arenas / Stadiums / Leagues / Entertainment
    • Banking/Finance/Insurance
    • Construction, Real Estate, Property Management
    • Education: K-12
    • Education: University
    • Government: Federal, State and Local
    • Hospitality & Casinos
    • Hospitals & Medical Centers
    • Infrastructure:Electric,Gas & Water
    • Ports: Sea, Land, & Air
    • Retail/Restaurants/Convenience
    • Transportation/Logistics/Supply Chain/Distribution/ Warehousing
  • EVENTS
    • Industry Events
    • Webinars
    • Solutions by Sector
    • Security 500 Conference
  • MEDIA
    • Videos
      • Cybersecurity & Geopolitical Discussion
      • Ask Me Anything (AMA) Series
    • Podcasts
    • Polls
    • Photo Galleries
  • MORE
    • Call for Entries
    • Classifieds & Job Listings
    • Continuing Education
    • Newsletter
    • Sponsor Insights
    • Store
    • White Papers
  • EMAG
    • eMagazine
    • This Month's Content
    • Advertise
  • SIGN UP!
CybersecurityManagementSecurity Enterprise ServicesSecurity Leadership and ManagementLogical Security

Security in 2021: What lies ahead

By Jarrod Overson
Strong Cybersecurity: The Critical Role of Lifecycle Management - Security Magazine
January 18, 2021

If there's one thing we learned in 2020, it's how to adapt. Companies compressed years-long digital transformation plans into a matter of weeks. Companies that "don't do remote" suddenly had to "do remote" and found it wasn't that bad. We got VPNs, external services, and started communicating digitally as the default. We adapted. So did bad guys. The FBI saw a 400% increase in cyberattacks as adversaries probed the new landscape for vulnerabilities. We haven’t even begun to see the results of these attacks. 2020 blew up expectations and we should expect more of the same in the coming years.

 

Fraud will skyrocket, straining existing defenses

Fraudsters’ toolsets have evolved over the past five years, while the current generation of defenses has started showing its age. Attackers have found that by imitating their victims, down to their home environment, they can bypass hurdles like multi-factor authentication and risk-based rate limiting. The tools that take advantage of this type of vulnerability are still in their infancy but when they mature, it will force companies to reevaluate their defenses.

 

3D printers will test biometric security

3D printers went from niche machines costing thousands of dollars to being sold for less than a Nintendo Switch. 3D-printed fingerprints and faces that can pass biometric authenticators is not a sci-fi future. It’s right around the corner. It won’t require a high-quality scan of a victim, either. Biometric authentication boils down to probability scoring, and a printable ‘master key’ may look more like a keychain of composable parts than a replica of a person’s face or fingerprint.

 

Bolt-on security will move to the edge

Routing a packet all the way through the internet only to reject it is a waste of resources. Both the internet and budgets are finite. Moving products like bot protection and data validation to the edge is the obvious solution whose time has come. 5G and the millions of new devices coming online globally will make these optimizations necessary.

 

Rust & WASM will change application security

Web Assembly, or WASM, is a computer bytecode that started as an alternative runtime for web browsers. Rather than write an application in JavaScript, developers can now compile almost any language into WASM and still target the web. Ironically, this universal web bytecode attracted more system developers than web developers and WASM is turning into an ultra-lightweight, ultra-portable way to execute binaries on the server, browser, edge, wherever.

Meanwhile, the Rust language made waves with its focus on memory safety – the cause of most security issues – and now has the best, first-class support for WASM. The combination of the two promise to fundamentally change application development across every platform.

 

A surge of data breaches will be announced late 2021

The office landscape changed radically in 2020. Millions of workers went remote in a matter of weeks and systems scaled to support them. The problem isn't remote working, the problem is that trends changed. Activity data and network traffic started looking differently all at once. Just like when someone flashes a light in your eyes at night, it takes time to readjust and see clearly again. Once companies recognize what new breaches look like, we’ll see a waterfall of announcements in a short timeframe.

We will continue to face challenges from COVID-19 in 2021, but it's not farfetched to imagine a future where things look "normal" again. How we work, though, has changed forever. We're still in the early stages of the new normal and the best we can do is expect the unexpected, and budget accordingly.

KEYWORDS: biometrics cyber security risk management

Share This Story

Looking for a reprint of this article?
From high-res PDFs to custom plaques, order your copy today!

Jarrod overson headshot

Jarrod Overson is a Principal Technical Evangelist for F5 Networks, previously Director of Engineering at Shape Security, which was acquired by F5 in 2019.

Recommended Content

JOIN TODAY
To unlock your recommendations.

Already have an account? Sign In

  • Security's Top Cybersecurity Leaders 2024

    Security's Top Cybersecurity Leaders 2024

    Security magazine's Top Cybersecurity Leaders 2024 award...
    Security Enterprise Services
    By: Security Staff
  • cyber brain

    The intersection of cybersecurity and artificial intelligence

    Artificial intelligence (AI) is a valuable cybersecurity...
    Cyber Tactics Column
    By: Pam Nigro
  • artificial intelligence AI graphic

    Assessing the pros and cons of AI for cybersecurity

    Artificial intelligence (AI) has significant implications...
    New Security Technology
    By: Charles Denyer
Manage My Account
  • Security eNewsletter & Other eNews Alerts
  • eMagazine Subscriptions
  • Manage My Preferences
  • Online Registration
  • Mobile App
  • Subscription Customer Service

More Videos

Sponsored Content

Sponsored Content is a special paid section where industry companies provide high quality, objective, non-commercial content around topics of interest to the Security audience. All Sponsored Content is supplied by the advertising company and any opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and not necessarily reflect the views of Security or its parent company, BNP Media. Interested in participating in our Sponsored Content section? Contact your local rep!

close
  • Crisis Response Team
    Sponsored byEverbridge

    Automate or Fall Behind – Crisis Response at the Speed of Risk

  • Perimeter security
    Sponsored byAMAROK

    Why Property Security is the New Competitive Advantage

  • Duty of Care
    Sponsored byAMAROK

    Integrating Technology and Physical Security to Advance Duty of Care

Popular Stories

Coding

AI Emerges as the Top Concern for Security Leaders

Half open laptop

“Luigi Was Right”: A Look at the Website Sharing Data on More Than 1,000 Executives

Shopping mall

Victoria’s Secret Security Incident Shuts Down Website

Laptop with coding on ground

Stepping Into the Light: Why CISOs Are Replacing Black-Box Security With Open-Source XDR

Gift cards and credit cards

Why Are Cyberattacks Targeting Retail? Experts Share Their Thoughts

2025 Security Benchmark banner

Events

June 24, 2025

Inside a Modern GSOC: How Anthropic Benchmarks Risk Detection Tools for Speed and Accuracy

For today's security teams, making informed decisions in the first moments of a crisis is critical.

July 17, 2025

Tech in the Jungle: Leveraging Surveillance, Access Control, and Technology in Unique Environments

From animal habitats to bustling crowds of visitors, a zoo is a one-of-a-kind environment for deploying modern security technologies.

View All Submit An Event

Products

Security Culture: A How-to Guide for Improving Security Culture and Dealing with People Risk in Your Organisation

Security Culture: A How-to Guide for Improving Security Culture and Dealing with People Risk in Your Organisation

See More Products

Related Articles

  • biometrics facial recognition

    AI and biometrics in 2021: Predictions, trends, and insights for what might lie ahead

    See More
  • Privacy

    Privacy in 2020 and what to expect for the year ahead

    See More
  • Cybersecurity & Geopolitical Discussion graphic

    The security year ahead: What will 2024 have in store?

    See More

Related Products

See More Products
  • security culture.webp

    Security Culture: A How-to Guide for Improving Security Culture and Dealing with People Risk in Your Organisation

  • Risk-Analysis.gif

    Risk Analysis and the Security Survey, 4th Edition

  • operations center.jpg

    Security Operations Center Guidebook

See More Products
×

Sign-up to receive top management & result-driven techniques in the industry.

Join over 20,000+ industry leaders who receive our premium content.

SIGN UP TODAY!
  • RESOURCES
    • Advertise
    • Contact Us
    • Store
    • Want More
  • SIGN UP TODAY
    • Create Account
    • eMagazine
    • eNewsletter
    • Customer Service
    • Manage Preferences
  • SERVICES
    • Marketing Services
    • Reprints
    • Market Research
    • List Rental
    • Survey/Respondent Access
  • STAY CONNECTED
    • LinkedIn
    • Facebook
    • YouTube
    • X (Twitter)
  • PRIVACY
    • PRIVACY POLICY
    • TERMS & CONDITIONS
    • DO NOT SELL MY PERSONAL INFORMATION
    • PRIVACY REQUEST
    • ACCESSIBILITY

Copyright ©2025. All Rights Reserved BNP Media.

Design, CMS, Hosting & Web Development :: ePublishing