The top analyst at Gartner, Inc., Alex Michaels, spoke at the Gartner Security & Risk Management Summit to discuss the new trends in cybersecurity. The following are the six trends that will have the most impact:
It’s almost a given at this point in tech that when looking at trends anywhere, AI will be the central influence. The rise of GenAI is transforming data security programmes, shifting from a focus on protecting databases to protecting unstructured data such as text, images, and videos.
The increasing use of GenAI, cloud services, automation, and DevOps has led to the prolific use of machine accounts. Each one of these has an identity and login information, which often isn’t being managed properly—something that’s really risky. If a hacker gains access to one, it’s a scarily simple way to infiltrate your systems. Security teams need a solid plan to control and protect these machine accounts, and this needs to be an enterprise-wide effort.
A lot of security and risk leaders dived straight into AI, but many of these projects didn’t deliver as expected. So now, instead of trying to do everything with AI, they’re narrowing in on smaller, practical cases that actually work.
These more tactical implementations align AI practices and tools with existing metrics, fit them into current initiatives, and enhance visibility into the real value of AI investments.
Alex Michaels from Gartner has emphasised that SRM leaders should:
According to a Gartner survey, organisations use an average of 45 cybersecurity tools. With over 3,000 vendors in the space, security and risk management leaders should start optimising these tools to build a more efficient security programme.
Threat modelling and organisational technology drivers, such as AI adoption, can also be used to assess advanced needs.
Security Behaviour and Culture Programmes are now going to be vital. It’s obvious that even with all the tech in the world, your business can’t be 100% secure if employees are still clicking suspicious links or reusing passwords.
Gartner says that when companies combine GenAI with well-integrated platforms for their SBCPs, they can cut down employee-caused security incidents by 40% by 2026. That’s a big deal.
According to Gartner, burnout among SRM leaders and security teams is becoming a serious issue. These teams are expected to protect highly complex systems in a world where threats, regulations, and business priorities are always shifting.
This burnout is something to be taken seriously in the cybersecurity space, and measures should be taken to change this.
Staying ahead of evolving cybersecurity trends can be a significant challenge, particularly for small and medium-sized businesses that lack dedicated security teams. That’s where we come in.
At Fitzrovia IT, we help businesses take a proactive, strategic approach to cybersecurity. We offer end-to-end cybersecurity solutions, including managed security services, AI-integrated security tools, and staff awareness training.
If you're ready to strengthen your security posture in 2025 and beyond, get in touch with one of our specialists today. Let’s build a resilient and future-ready security strategy for your business.