Top 3 security, privacy and data protection trends for 2015

2014 was full of front page stories about data privacy, hacks, data jurisdiction and other threats that confirmed security is no longer a niche. Security is officially a business reality and priority for everyone regardless of size or industry. These macro trends coincided with increased availability of simple secure cloud solutions that take the complexity out of security and the result is dramatic growth and adoption of security solutions.

It is now the expectation that security be an integral component of everything we use. Topics and discussions that used to be relegated to security and compliance professionals will be the front page stories and business drivers of 2015 such as:

1. Data jurisdiction and data sovereignty will impact the growth of Office 365, Azure and other cloud platforms
Satisfy local, grow global: Enhanced national privacy legislation introduced in Australia, Singapore, Germany, Malaysia, as well as the EU Data Protection Directive, is just the beginning. In many cases opinion trumps facts and products like Office 365 and Azure need to demonstrate aggressively that they understand the privacy and security concerns of partners and resellers globally. Getting in front of these domestic privacy and data concerns topics, separating fact versus fiction will build trust and help facilitate global growth.

2. The cloud will no longer be perceived as a security threat compared to on premise solutions
The future of security is in the cloud: Cloud solution providers have had to deal with the perception the cloud was not secure from day one. As a result providers had to over deliver to be a viable alternative to on premise solutions. The reality is that security and compliance are not the core competency of most I.T. departments and most companies lack the internal resources to meet compliance requirements and evolving security threats.

3. Data Loss Prevention will become a hot issue for business leaders
Who saw what when: Businesses need to know where their business critical information is at all times. Flagging content and communication before it leaves the office is a good start but it is not enough. Machine learning, pattern recognition, and “post-send” message controls are the next wave of DLP functionality that will protect employees, clients and increasingly your brand.

It is my prediction that 2015 will be the year security stopped being the responsibility of some and became the expectation of everyone. The threats are real and evolving, compliance requirements are becoming more complex and the real threat is not just regulators it is now your customers. Irreparable harm to your brand can happen in an instant and regaining the trust of customers and partners is slow and expensive. Luckily in 2015 the technology exists to deal proactively and simply with these complex topics.