An increased reliance on the cloud has produced a need for optimal cybersecurity. Cloud security posture management is a practice and technology that prevents threats that lead to data breaches. However, systems must constantly adapt to ongoing technological needs.
The long-term future is impossible to predict. However, experts are seeing trends evolve that will determine the landscape for 2024. Read on to learn what you can expect.
Growth Increases in the Market
2024 may see a rise in cloud users. According to Forbes magazine, the cloud computing infrastructure will top $1 trillion for the first time at some point in the year.
Organizations’ increased reliance on the cloud boosts the need for cloud security posture management. A MarketsandMarkets report shows the market will reach a $8.6 billion valuation by 2027.
A Gartner report was more conservative but still showed a significant increase in valuation. Forecast analysts predict the market will reach a $3.32 billion valuation by 2027.
What Factors are Driving Growth?
- Configuration Errors: Misconfigurations occur when security settings are not implemented correctly. Common Issues may include setup problems, unauthorized access, insecure interfaces, and account theft. Organizations that cannot oversee IT teams will rely on cloud security posture management to monitor errors automatically and notify workers as soon as they are detected.
- Increase Migration to the Cloud: More companies are migrating to the cloud to gain a competitive edge. The cloud makes processes faster and allows for scalability. However, when organizations migrate to the cloud, they face risks as teams prepare for the new platform. Without cloud security posture management, systems are left vulnerable.
- Inexperienced Staff: Organizations that migrate to the cloud may lack an expert staff that can process, analyze, and implement security solutions. A 2021 Application Security Report revealed that 46% of companies were reluctant to migrate to the cloud due to a shortage of experienced workers. CSPM can pick up the slack and minimize the need to hire additional staff.
- Increase of Cybersecurity Threats: A 2023 Thales Cloud Security Study revealed that 39% of businesses experienced a data breach in their cloud environment in 2023. This percentage compares to 35% of companies that experienced breaches in 2022. Experts predict numbers will continue to rise increasing the need for advanced security measures.
- Compliance Regulations: Cloud compliance frameworks uphold industry standards and mitigate risks. Standards and requirements differ by industry. SOX, HIPAA, GDPR, DSS, and PCI are some of the most popular. A CSPM solution can keep you up to date with the latest regulations in your industry.
- Increased Need for Efficiency: Organizations are constantly striving to become more efficient so they can rise above their competitors. CSPM Solutions can reduce errors and automate compliance practices. It gives team leaders one less thing to worry about. Acquiring or improving systems may be a goal for companies that strive to get a leg up on the competition in 2024.
What CSPM Trends Can We Expect in 2024?
Cloud Workload Protection Platform Integration
A cloud workload protection platform (CWPP) detects threats inside cloud software before they can damage systems. They run on abstraction levels that make systems more efficient. The added protection and efficiency will make them a popular choice for businesses in 2024.
AI Threat Detection
In 2023, many tech companies introduced AI threat detection that continually assesses the cloud environment to improve response speeds and alert quality. It also provides enterprises insight so they can identify vulnerabilities in their framework. They offer seamless integration.
The convenience of threat detection will make it a growing trend in the coming year.
Increased Focus on Multi-Cloud Environments
Multi-cloud environments allow organizations to use more than one public provider at a time. Businesses can utilize private or public providers or a combination of the two. The option allows users to take advantage of the benefits of each cloud. It reduces vendor lock-in and increases security, compliance, reliability, redundancy, and cost-efficiency.
More Emphasis on Cloud-Native Security
Cloud-native is an approach to building and running applications on a cloud computing delivery model rather than an on-premises data center. It improves deployment capabilities, manageability, agility, and productivity. It allows organizations to make the most of on-demand computing power while saving money.
Lack of Skilled Workers
One would hope that the rising popularity of cloud services will lead to more skilled workers in the field. Unfortunately, experts predict more industry shortages in 2024. Things may get worse before they get better. The increasing need for cloud capabilities will far outweigh the availability of skilled workers for the foreseeable future.
Integration Challenges
Cloud integration occurs when organizations connect various applications in different cloud environments. The biggest challenge relates to security. Many companies leave sensitive data vulnerable during integration processes. Other issues include network latency, data governance, legacy systems, choosing between custom and pre-built integration, and vendor lock-in.
Vendor Competition
The rising demand for cloud services means more vendors in the ring. More cloud providers will be competing for organizations’ business. This situation creates more choices for companies, but it also makes it harder for businesses to choose the right vendor.
Increased Opportunities
CSPM will offer companies a safe environment to access more computing power which boosts efficiency and enhances growth.
More AI Innovation
AI will continue to play a major role in threat detection. It is expected to improve in 2024 and combine with Generative Adversarial Networks (GANs) to disrupt the phishing market. However, experts expect this will lead to a rise in hacking techniques such as hyper-realistic audio and video, virtual kidnapping, and other scams.
Increased Reliance on Managed Services
Cloud-managed services are cloud ecosystems managed by a third-party organization. Popular services include IT, on-demand engineering, help desk support, hosting, and implementation. Managed services are seeing worldwide growth with 82% of customers outsourcing some or all their operations. That number is expected to increase in 2024.
Enhanced Collaboration
2024 will bring more collaboration between CSPM services and cloud providers for an all-in-one experience. It will provide a more streamlined approach to security in cloud environments. It will allow teams to identify vulnerabilities before they can damage systems.
Increase in Zero Trust Architecture
Zero trust architecture assumes all entities and processes are threats unless proven otherwise. CSPMs contribute to Zero Trust security by providing ongoing, automated monitoring to offer comprehensive visibility in cloud environments.
More Reliance on User and Entity Behavior Analytics (UEBA)
UEBA is a security software that uses AI, automation, and behavioral analytics to identify potential threats. It implements tools to analyze data to determine the typical behavior of allowed users and measures it against atypical behaviors to determine threats. It may be incorporated into more CSPM solutions in 2024.
Edge Security Considerations
Edge security is a decentralized infrastructure. It is not centrally located. Rather, it functions at the edge of an organization’s network.
It is beneficial because its on-device location means it doesn’t require the full power of large network security protocols. It also reduces external threats.
However, it can leave the central system vulnerable.
Nonetheless, it may be integrated into more cloud systems in 2024 as a primary or complementary security tool.
Increased Secure API Management
Application program interfaces (APIs) transfer data between two cloud services or cloud and computing services. API management ensures consumers get the necessary quality of service.
Providers will typically provide contracts to ensure their systems are running efficiently. They must maintain high levels of service to keep up with the growing competition.
Boosted Response Capabilities
CSPM AI will become more advanced and offer boosted response capabilities. It will detect threats faster and attempt to mitigate risk without human involvement.
Updates to Regulatory Compliance Automation
AI constantly monitors cloud environments for threats. But it also ensures that industry policies and regulations are upheld. Experts believe that the SEC will set a legal precedent for cybersecurity management which will affect insurance policies and lead to more lawsuits. Regulatory compliance must be updated accordingly.
Muti-Factor Authentication Integration
In 2024, more companies will integrate multi-factor authentication into their security systems. The strategies will go beyond sending an email or text notification. Fingerprints and facial recognition will be utilized for more advanced security measures.
Increased Threats
Organizations must be on the lookout for threats that come from different sources. Smart technology, wearable devices, and IoT are increasing attacker opportunities. Ransomware will become more evolved.
Companies must also be aware of internal threat risks. The explosion of the BYOD (bring your device) trend and mobile devices pose security challenges. Deepfakes will also become a more popular hacking tool.
Vendor Lock-in
Vendor lock-in occurs when an organization becomes overly reliant on one provider. The dependence can limit flexibility and options and make it difficult to migrate to a preferred network. A reliance on multi-cloud environments can prevent vendor lock-in.
Cloud security posture management will continue its upward trajectory to mitigate increasing risks and threats. Emerging trends will affect how organizations integrate security into their systems. An awareness of these trends will achieve optimal security across diverse platforms.