Cybersecurity Trends That Will Impact Operational Efficiency
Introduction
Changes big and small are happening at every moment in the digital landscape, and a lot of complex issues can be solved with technology. But organizations need something bigger. They need to be resilient.
The intersection of AI, cloud technology, and cybersecurity trends are reshaping the way organizations approach security and risk management. As businesses grapple with a growing skills gap and increasingly sophisticated threats, the need for innovative solutions has never been more critical.
This article explores three recent trends in security driving the future: the escalating demand for outsourced IT talent, the impact of AI on cybersecurity spending, and the rise of Zero Trust Architecture as a best practice. Discover how these challenges and strategies are shaping the priorities of CISOs and organizations worldwide, and how embracing these changes can strengthen IT resiliency, preparing organizations to take on the challenges of today and tomorrow.
Growing Cybersecurity Skills Gap Drives Need for IT Outsourcing
The expanding skills gap in cloud and AI is compelling organizations to turn to specialized security service providers. In an era where humans are worried that AI will take their jobs, Gartner projects that by 2025, a shortage of skilled talent will contribute to more than 50% of major cybersecurity incidents, highlighting the need for a fusion of artificial and human intelligence to enhance the workforce.1 As cybersecurity evolves with the AI revolution, the demands of security teams have changed, and an already overburdened internal IT team can’t keep pace with the evolving landscape alone.
As CISO’s scramble to find qualified talent to help them secure their increasingly complex environments, cyber criminals are eagerly taking advantage of the skills gap. This poses security risks for organizations of all sizes, from small and medium-sized businesses to large enterprises. According to Will Markow, vice president of applied research at Lightcast, “the cybersecurity talent pipeline remains one of the most critical workforce challenges of our time.”2 By looking to external IT partners, CISO’s bypass the skills gap, enhance their organizations’ security posture, adapt quickly to evolving threats, and have complete control over the scalability of their team.
Surge in Cybersecurity Spending Driven by Adoption of AI Technologies
Organizations need to adopt new technologies to stay competitive. That part is evident. CISO’s are struggling with stakeholder pressure to implement AI solutions and do it securely. While cyber threats have always existed, AI is automating attacks and significantly increasing their volume.
However, AI is a double-edged sword because it can also be implemented as an automated defense tool to combat these threats. This duality is forcing IT professionals to reevaluate overlooked security gaps—such as application security, privacy management, and data protection—often neglected due to budget or talent limitations.
Zero Trust Architecture Becomes Best Practice
Forward thinking companies are already starting their journey to a zero-trust security strategy. Zero Trust, a proactive approach to security based on “never trust, always verify,” was once considered ideal but out of reach for most IT teams, particularly when compared to traditional security models. However, over the past decade, it has evolved into a practical, verifiable business strategy—one that companies must adopt to avoid catastrophic and costly breaches.
The traditional perimeter-based security models are no longer sufficient in the modern era, where data is distributed across cloud environments, remote workplaces, various devices, and plugged into AI. Technology that implements Zero Trust principles is set to become the standard. For instance, Gartner forecasts that in 2025, at least 70% of new remote access deployments will rely primarily on ZTNA (Zero Trust Network Access) rather than traditional VPN services, a significant rise from less than 10% in 2021.3
Zero Trust drives business strategy by meeting the security expectations of customers and providing employees with a secure environment to collaborate effectively. Without security, financial and reputational damages are at stake, and rebuilding trust once it’s lost can be incredibly difficult.
Because of this, stakeholders understand the devastating effect of security disruptions and are embracing the importance of Zero Trust principles by increasing budgets to keep their environment secure across networks, cloud services, identity and access management, and IOT.
Conclusion
Cybersecurity is no longer a checkbox on a long to-do list, it’s a strategic advantage with many moving parts. As companies face more cyberattacks than ever, CISO’s are seeking a way to gain the most value from their team and are seeing a larger investment from stakeholders to move to a Zero Trust Architecture and secure top talent both internally and from consulting services. The cybersecurity trends of 2025 will continue to have a lasting impact on the digital landscape and shape the IT challenges of tomorrow.
About RKON
For over 25 years, RKON’s human brilliance has driven our technology solutions, guiding customers to a fortified, quiet IT environment. At RKON, we do that through a security-first approach that meets our customers where they are in their digital journey. Security is seamlessly integrated into every aspect of our work, ensuring peace of mind and proactive protection for your organization. Where others see challenge, we see opportunity.
Are you looking for a proactive approach to fortifying your digital environment in 2025? Get rid of the unknown and control, secure, and monitor your business for a better peace of mind. Talk to a cybersecurity expert today.
Endnotes
1 Gartner. 2022. “Gartner Identifies Three Factors Influencing Growth in Zero Trust Adoption.” October 13, 2022. https://www.gartner.com/en/newsroom/press-releases/2022-10-13-gartner-identifies-three-factors-influencing-growth-i.
2Lightcast. 2023. “Cybersecurity Trends/Demand Heat Map: What Does It Tell Us?” June 6, 2023. https://lightcast.io/resources/blog/cyberseek-06-06-2023.
3Gartner. 2023. “Gartner Predicts Nearly Half of Cybersecurity Leaders Will Change Jobs by 2025.” February 22, 2023. https://www.gartner.com/en/newsroom/press-releases/2023-02-22-gartner-predicts-nearly-half-of-cybersecurity-leaders-will-change-jobs-by-2025.