2024: Navigating the Cybersecurity Maelstrom

CISOs have had a lot to contend with in recent years: a global pandemic, large-scale remote work, and record levels of employee turnover. From the outside looking in, one could be forgiven for thinking the past 12 months have been serene by comparison. But for CISOs caught in the whirlwind, this was the year the perfect storm reached its peak. 

Thanks to hybrid working as standard and the growing reliance on cloud technology, the attack surface has never been larger. Cyber threats are more targeted, sophisticated, and frequent than ever before. Meanwhile, employees are increasingly mobile—often taking data when they change jobs. 

While generative artificial intelligence (AI) tools hold great promise, they also have lowered the bar to entry for cybercriminals. Anyone with a few dollars now has the means to launch devastating attacks. 

To be sure, CISOs are enjoying closer ties with key stakeholders, board members, and regulators. But this proximity also brings higher stakes, more pressure, and heightened expectations. And with flat or reduced budgets, CISOs must try to do much more with considerably less. In this environment of tight resources and rapid change, shortcuts are sometimes necessary. But they can lead to human error.