Advances in AI and machine learning are moving us toward the ability to create proactive, intelligent systems that stop hackers before they start. At the same time, the more connected the components of your system are, the more connected the threats to your system can be. That means personal security hygiene is more important than ever—and its impact extends to devices that you likely haven’t considered in your data security planning. Keeping secure in this new environment entails:

• Being aware of how you’re accessing the web—no matter where you are. Even if you and your employees aren’t yet telecommuting, you’ve probably accessed work email from home. And there’s a good chance that one of you has read work email on a smartphone that also houses an app for managing something completely unrelated to work, like an IoT baby monitor or push notifications from your daily newspaper. And because they’re completely unrelated to work and your life is complicated enough already, you probably don’t have particularly secure passwords for those apps, because who cares if someone hacks into them, right?
• Getting familiar with deception technologies. While we need to remain vigilant about a growing number of devices, AI is giving us new means of fighting cyber threats by outsmarting them. If you’re not familiar with deception technologies, it’s time to get up to speed. Gartner explains that these tools use “deceits and/or tricks designed to thwart, or throw off, an attacker’s cognitive processes, disrupt an attacker’s automation tools, delay an attacker’s activities, or disrupt breach progression.” The company included it in its list of Top Technologies for Security in 2017.
• Going with a cloud you know. Cloud storage is not new, but it’s still a key component of any security plan today. Use a well-known, highly regarded provider so you don’t have to spend time completing due diligence on a smaller provider’s compliance with industry standards. One way to avoid that process, and make sure you’re asking the right questions and getting them answered is to just opt for the big boys. Their prices tend to be better, anyway, because they have that aggregated mass effect.

By staying current with these security trends and resources and integrating the relevant ones into your plans, you can develop a stronger five-year roadmap for your company’s growth.

Read the Leverage the Internet to Own Your Future Growth guide to learn more about how taking the right security steps can protect your business in an increasingly connected environment.