Author: ironcore

Hampton Roads is home to many of the nation’s largest Naval Bases including Norfolk Naval Base, Oceana Naval Air Station, Joint Base Little Creek, and Yorktown Naval Weapons Station. Naval Station Norfolk supports the operational readiness of the US Atlantic Fleet, providing facilities and services to enable mission accomplishment. Curious about how the U.S. Navy handles data destruction?

Securis’ Hampton Roads location protects the data on local Navy retired IT assets. In an interview with the Norfolk, Virginia business owner Allan Jenik, we explore some unique data destruction needs of the Navy.

Q: What are some observations about the unique needs of Navy customers regarding data destruction and IT recycling?

A: The Navy typically handles data destruction by using the DLA DRMO process for disposing of retired IT equipment. We’ve helped organizations such as NAVFAC dispose of heavy equipment such as copy machines and large printers that are difficult to retire and recycle properly. Documentation is extremely important to our Navy customers and we provide reporting that lists the serial numbers and manufacturer of every piece of equipment along with a certificate of recycling.

We do two types of data destruction for NAVFAC, SPAWAR, and CNIC. Both types of destruction require a representative of the Navy to witness the destruction and it is almost always done on base. Unclassified hard drives, cell phones, and tablets have their serial numbers scanned before destruction and must match a corresponding list provided by the Navy representative. We typically scan the identifying information and provide our list of serial numbers to the Navy representative to make sure they match before we begin the shredding process.

Classified hard drives and devices are handled in a similar manner as unclassified drives but must remain in the possession of an authorized Navy representative throughout the process until the storage devices are degaussed in our NSA-evaluated equipment before being shredded.  Solid State hard drives, cell phones, and tablets must be shredded to a 2mm particle size to meet NSA requirements and we have equipment with that capability.  Late-model cell phones and tablets need to be disassembled before microshredding to remove the batteries which we can do on-site to maintain security protocols.

Q: How do you protect the data on old IT devices for the Navy (degaussing, shredding, etc.)?Any particular regulations they have that are different from most companies?

A: If the devices contain unclassified/non-sensitive information, we take them back to our secure Norfolk facility for disassembly and hard drive removal. We have a lot of experience with large printers and copiers and can locate hard-to-access data storage devices such as SD and compact flashcards in addition to hard drives.  If any unexpected storage devices are uncovered, we contact our Navy customer to determine the next course of action.  

Q: How often do you work with the Navy in Hampton Roads, VA?

A: We typically work with our Navy customers on a semi-annual basis.  

Q: Why did the Navy choose Securis over the competition?

A: Securis is flexible- many of our competitors will not allow Navy personnel to maintain possession of the data storage devices throughout the destruction process. We allow them to watch the process on our truck while following the proper safety procedures.  The size of our company allows us to be flexible regarding process and documentation- we can adapt to any reasonable request.

Q: Anything else you’d like to mention about working with the Navy or about how the Navy handles data destruction?

A: Our Operations Director is a retired Navy Chief who is very familiar with procedures and base access/logistics.

Special thanks to Securis’ Hampton Roads location business owner Allan Jenik for sharing the unique needs of the U.S. Navy in Norfolk, Virginia regarding their data destruction and IT recycling needs.

Facility Location:

2551 Eltham Ave, Suite G
Norfolk, VA 23513
Phone: 757-272-1166
Email: VA03@securis.com

Areas Serviced:

Cities and counties in southern Virginia including Norfolk, Virginia Beach, Hampton Roads, Hampton, Suffolk, Chesapeake, Newport News, Sussex, Smithfield and more.

Whether you’re upgrading to a bigger flat screen or laying a defective one to rest, there comes a time when you must dispose of your television. You can either throw the TV in the garbage, where it will likely end up in a landfill, or you can recycle it and give it new life. 

But how exactly does recycling a television work? Can you recycle any old television? Where do you go to recycle it? In this post, we’ll answer these and any other burning questions you may have about recycling a TV. 

CRT or HDTV?

The first thing to determine is the type of television you have. There are two main kinds: CRT and HDTV. The CRT, or Cathode Ray Tube, was more prominent in the 90s and early 2000s, and refers to television sets that were bulkier and used a fluorescent tube for its internals.  According to a 2011 EPA-commissioned report, over 580 million CRT televisions have been sold in the U.S. since the 1980s, not counting computer monitors. The HDTV is flatter and uses the more energy efficient LCD, LED, or Plasma technology (the latter of which has been mostly phased out).

Glass and Chemicals

Between the two, CRTs have been harder to recycle due to their design. They typically hold lead, cadmium-based phosphorus, and other toxic chemicals in the box. Because of these chemicals, disposing of a CRT can actually be dangerous and harmful. Recyclers are able to separate the chemicals safely and reuse the glass panels for new television sets. The lead is trickier to recycle but can be reused for certain cleaning agents.

Plastics

Both kinds of television are also designed with a substantial amount of plastic, typically around the bezel, the stand, and the television remote. Modern televisions are thankfully made with recyclable plastics, so recyclers can reuse it in new televisions, or other similar devices. 

Electronics

TVs also have a handful of microchips that work to power the system and display an image on the screen. These microchips are made from a mixture of silicon and metal. They can be salvaged, shredded, or smelted towards new devices. 

Alternatives to Recycling

Recycling is just one solution for sustainable disposal. These old television sets, if still in a working condition, can also be donated to schools, shelters, faith-based services, and other community organizations. CRTs can last up to 11 years, so if it has only been lightly used, it can always find life in a different home. 

CRTs are also slowly becoming antiques. Whereas once they may have been considered old pieces of junk, as they become increasingly difficult to produce and find, they are regaining value in pawn shops and resellers. This, of course, also depends on the quality of the television.

Why Recycling is Still the Way to Go

Ultimately, recycling is still the best option for salvaging an old television set. For one, most TVs die out, preventing you from donating or reselling them. Second, they help divert salvageable and reusable materials into the production facilities for new TVs. Finally, recycling can also benefit recyclers and their teams with more business. 

If you own a CRT and are planning to recycle it, you must go to a special recycling facility. This is the only way to ensure that the toxic chemicals are safely removed and that the useful materials are reused. If you own a company and are caught improperly disposing of old televisions, there is a chance that you may even be fined for your infraction.

Televisions are one of the most widely bought electronics on the market. It is up to us as consumers to properly dispose of them when they are no longer needed. Doing so ensures we cultivate a safe, clean, and sustainable environment for us and future generations.

Securis Recycles TVs

Securis accepts TVs at their monthly recycling event, although there is a fee associated with recycling a television. At the time of this publication, the fees are as follows:

Televisions, LCD TV’s and Plasmas – 19″ or Smaller $15.00 Each,  20″ to 30” $20.00 Each, 31″ to 50″ $25.00 Each, 51″ or Larger $30.00

Learn more about Securis’ community recycling event – now with touch-free recycling options to comply with social distancing due to COVID-19.

Saturday, April 11 was Securis’ scheduled community e-recycling event. They take place on the second Saturday of each month. Due to concerns about remaining socially distant during the COVID-19 pandemic, we considered canceling altogether but continued to receive questions from community members who were hoping the monthly event will continue as it has for years, providing electronics recycling and hard drive destruction to members of the community.

Socially Distant E-Recycling

In a continued effort to keep you and our employees safe, Securis’ first monthly community recycling event since the COVID-19 outbreak was held abiding by social distancing guidelines. People who wanted to recycle old computers, phones, monitors, and other electronics were advised to stay in their cars while still having the opportunity to safely recycle their items.

To maintain socially distant e-recycling protocol, a masked and gloved Securis team member then approached each vehicle with two bins. One was marked “SHRED” and the other marked “RECYCLE.” People were then able to place hard drives, cell phones, and devices containing data to be shredded into the SHRED bin. Other items were placed into the RECYCLE bin.

For those who had additional and/or larger items in their trunks, Securis team members simply had them pop the trunk and removed the items.

Data Destruction for Hard Drives and Other Devices

For those who had laptops, desktops, or similar items that required hard drive removal and data destruction witnessing, Securis removed the drive on a table and then shredded it, allowing people to witness the process from the safety of their vehicles.  Even payment methods were handled with minimal contact – no signatures required. For those who missed the April event, join Securis at the next socially distancing recycling event on May 9, 2020 from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. For more information, read our Residential Recycling Event Information page.

Hard Drive Definition

A hard drive stores all your data, where all your files and folders are physically located. A typical hard drive is slightly larger than your hand, yet can hold over 100 GB of data. The data is stored on a stack of disks mounted inside a solid encasement. These disks spin extremely fast (typically at either 5400 or 7200 RPM) so that data can be accessed immediately from anywhere on the drive. The data is stored on the hard drive magnetically, so it stays on the drive even after the power supply is turned off.

The term “hard drive” is actually short for “hard disk drive.” The term “hard disk” refers to the actual disks inside the drive. However, all three of these terms usually refer to the same thing. The hard disk drive definition is the place where your data is stored. 

A hard disk drive (HDD), hard disk, hard drive, or fixed disk^[b] is an electromechanical data storage device that uses magnetic storage to store and retrieve digital information using one or more rigid rapidly rotating disks (platters) coated with magnetic material. The platters are paired with magnetic heads, usually arranged on a moving actuator arm, which read and write data to the platter surfaces.^[2] Data is accessed in a random-access manner, meaning that individual blocks of data can be stored or retrieved in any order and not only sequentially. HDDs are a type of non-volatile storage, retaining stored data even when powered off.

History Of The Hard Drive

The first production IBM hard disk drive, the 350 disk storage, shipped in 1957 as a component of the IBM 305 RAMAC system. It was approximately the size of two medium-sized refrigerators and stored five million six-bit characters (3.75 megabytes) on a stack of 50 disks.

In 1962, the IBM 350 was superseded by the IBM 1301 disk storage unit, which consisted of 50 platters, each about 1/8-inch thick and 24 inches in diameter. While the IBM 350 used only two read/write heads,[28] the 1301 used an array of heads, one per platter, moving as a single unit. Cylinder-mode read/write operations were supported, and the heads flew about 250 micro-inches (about 6 µm) above the platter surface. Motion of the head array depended upon a binary adder system of hydraulic actuators which assured repeatable positioning. The 1301 cabinet was about the size of three home refrigerators placed side by side, storing the equivalent of about 21 million eight-bit bytes. Access time was about a quarter of a second.

Technology

A modern HDD records data by magnetizing a thin film of ferromagnetic material on both sides of a disk. Sequential changes in the direction of magnetization represent binary data bits. The data is read from the disk by detecting the transitions in magnetization. User data is encoded using an encoding scheme, such as run-length limited encoding, which determines how the data is represented by the magnetic transitions.

A typical HDD design consists of a spindle that holds flat circular disks, called platters, which hold the recorded data. The platters are made from a non-magnetic material, usually aluminum alloy, glass, or ceramic. They are coated with a shallow layer of magnetic material typically 10–20 nm in-depth, with an outer layer of carbon for protection.^[38][39][40] For reference, a standard piece of copy paper is 0.07–0.18 mm (70,000–180,000 nm)^[41] thick.

 

Hard Drive Capacity

The amount of storage on a hard disk is measured in gigabytes and terabytes. Hard drive capacity is measured by the amount of data users need to store, which is often much greater than the space applications take up. For example, a single video can take up four gigabytes of space.

In 1957, the cost of one megabyte of storage on the first hard drive would be the equivalent of USD $200,000 in today’s dollars. However, in 2017, one megabyte of hard drive storage costs less than 1/3000th of one cent! See hard disk, byte, SSD, and space/time.

Hard Disk

A hard disk is the primary computer storage medium, which is made of one or more aluminum or glass platters, coated with a ferromagnetic material. Although the terms “hard disk” and “hard drive” are used synonymously; technically, the disk spins inside the drive.

All computers used to have an internal hard disk for storage; however, today, storage can be solid-state (SSD). External hard disks can be plugged into a USB or an eSATA port for more storage.

1-Storage vs. Memory

Hard disks are not the computer’s main memory. Disks store programs and data until deliberately deleted by the user, but memory (RAM) is a temporary workspace. To learn how this workspace is used to process data, see memory. For a summary of memory and storage types, see storage vs. memory.

2-Capacity and Speed

Capacity is measured in bytes, and the largest drives hold up to 10 terabytes. Speed is measured by transfer rate in megabytes per second as well as latency: how long it takes to begin transferring data, typically 3 to 15 milliseconds (ms). By comparison, CDs/DVDs take 80 to 120 ms.

Byte

A byte (BinarY TablE) is the common unit of computer storage from a desktop computer to mainframe. It is made up of eight binary digits (bits). A ninth bit may be used in the memory (RAM) circuits as a parity bit for error checking.

A byte holds one alphabetic character such as the letter A, a dollar sign, or decimal point. For numeric data, one byte holds one decimal digit (0-9), two “packed decimal” digits (00-99), or a binary number from 0 to 255.

From Bite to Byte

IBM coined the term in the mid-1950s to mean the smallest addressable group of bits in a computer, which was originally not eight. The first spelling of the word was “bite,” but they was added to avoid misspelling between “bit” and “bite.” There are eight binary digits (bits) in a byte, but there can also be nine bits per byte in RAM cells that include error correction.

Byte Specifications

Drives and memory (RAM) are rated in bytes. For example, a 512-gigabyte (512GB) drive stores 512 billion characters of program instructions and data permanently, while eight gigabytes (8GBs) of RAM holds eight billion temporarily. The first hard drives in early personal computers held 5MB, and RAM was 64K.

SSD

A SSD (Solid State Drive) is an all-electronic non-volatile storage device that is an alternative to, and is increasingly replacing, hard disks. Employed in myriad products, including mobile devices, iPods, cameras, laptops, and desktop computers, SSDs are faster than hard disks because there is zero latency (no read/write head to move). They are also more rugged and reliable and offer greater protection in hostile environments. In addition, SSDs use less power and are not affected by magnets.

In time, there will only be solid-state storage, and spinning disk platters will be as obsolete as the punch card.

Mostly Flash Memory

SSDs are made of flash memory chips 99% of the time. However, for the absolute fastest storage speed obtainable, there are SSDs that use volatile RAM chips backed up by non-volatile storage in case of power failure.

What’s The Difference Between SSD & HDD

In its simplest form, an SSD is flash storage and has no moving parts. As a result, they’re smaller and take up less space in a PC case, in some instances even mounting directly to the motherboard. SSD storage is much faster than its HDD equivalent.

HDD storage is made up of magnetic tape and has mechanical parts inside. They’re larger than SSDs and much slower to read and write. In its simplest form, an SSD is flash storage and has no moving parts.

The Capacity of HDD & SSD

The primary characteristics of an HDD are its capacity and performance. Capacity is specified in unit prefixes corresponding to powers of 1000: a 1-terabyte (TB) drive has a capacity of 1,000 gigabytes (GB; where 1 gigabyte = 1 billion bytes).

Full-Size Hard Disk

The common prefixes are as follows: Kilobyte (KB) = 1,024 bytes. Megabyte (MB) = 1,024 kilobytes or 1,048,576 bytes. Gigabyte (GB) = 1,024 megabytes or 1,073,741,824 bytes.

Hard Disk Wiper

Securis wipes hard drives from jobs that correspond to recycling. Any hard drives labeled or belong to on-site/off-site shredding jobs or failed wiping machine testing are shredded and destroyed, not wiped. To schedule your data destruction and/or electronics recycling project today, contact Securis.

Special thanks to Samir Frangieh, Securis’ Manager of Technology Sales in Sales-Marketing/Processing for researching and authoring this article.

Over the past 20 years Securis has been in business, we’ve seen many ups and downs, although the reality of the coronavirus is a new experience for all of us. During this confusing time, we want you to know that we’re here for you. Our team members are diligent about remaining at home if they exhibit any symptoms, and while in the office, are maintaining disinfected work areas and our solid history of stability.

Rest assured that our team remains accessible and will be operating diligently with extra health and safety precautions during this time. We continue to provide on-site and off-site data destruction and e-waste recycling pick-ups.

Coronavirus Keeping Your Workforce Away?

While employees work from home to comply with safety policies related to the coronavirus, IT departments have the opportunity to clean out old IT equipment. If your IT team is in the office and would like to take advantage of this unique time to schedule data destruction and IT recycling with Securis, we have a few openings during the next few weeks.

Best wishes for good health, and please let us know how we can help you. We want to continue to make things as easy for you and your IT teams as possible.

The Securis Team

Here’s everything you need to know about hard drive shredders.

What is a hard drive shredder?

TechTarget defines a hard drive shredder as “a mechanical device that physically destroys old hard drives in such a way that the data they contain cannot be recovered.” Typically this machine is designed to shred the casing or disc completely, or severing the platter on which the data is stored. The metal and plastic of the hard drive is grinded using industrial razor-sharp blades that render particle sizes of 0.75” to 1.5”.

Why use a hard drive shredder?

Because it’s not enough to delete or format data on a hard drive. Hackers can find ways to recover the most remote pieces of data on a partition. Even overwriting the old data with new data will have no effect, as there is always some form of a backup or long term storage on a drive. Some programmers will develop software that writes “gibberish” data to mask or bury the original data, but more advanced hackers or security specialists will find ways to recover the data. 

Even other physical methods, such as drilling or scratching the disc, will not work. If any part of the disc is intact, there’s a strong chance that the data located in that part of the disc can survive.

The benefits of using a hard drive shredder

Convenient – Whether you buy your own or go with a data security/destruction firm, you’ll save yourself potentially months with shredding. Consider all the lost hours spent on drives that are improperly destroyed, hacked, and then finally recovered. Save yourself the headache.

Cost-effective – Speaking of investments, just think about the dollars lost in unsuccessful data destruction methods and recovering hacked data. Wouldn’t it be easier to just ensure the data is properly destroyed in the first place?

Safe – There are innumerable ways to delete your data, but only a few that actually ensure it’s gone for good. Hard drive shredders are one of the more reliable ways. 

Quick – Shredding takes no more than an hour from start to finish. If you need data gone immediately, data shredding won’t need a loading bar. 

The considerations of using a hard drive shredder

Individual buyer cost – If you’re looking to buy your own shredder, expect the good ones to start at around $20,000. It may be more logical or beneficial to go with a firm, or to rent if such an option is available.

Not effective on its own – If you truly wish to destroy your data permanently, it’s recommended you combine hard drive shredding with some other data sanitization technique. That in turn can bring up the overall costs.

Potentially dangerous/toxic – Hard drive shredders are not hobbyist or consumer products: you MUST know beforehand how to operate one and the necessary safety precautions involved. The particulate that comes from the shredding process has been known to be hazardous and toxic to people’s health, and the razor blades may result in one’s injury if not careful. Hire a professional to help you if in doubt. 

Hard drive shredders are one of the most foolproof methods for ensuring your sensitive data can no longer be restored. It has countless benefits for businesses that want absolute certainty their data is permanently gone. Of course, hard drive shredders cannot be purchased by just about anyone. Before you purchase or use one, consult experts on best practices. 

 

Even with the major leaps made in recent years in the cloud and security industries, companies continue to make mistakes protecting data. From big bank data breaches to mobile malware, almost anyone can be compromised, on any device. There simply has to be a better way.

The first step is to understand the root causes of these data breaches. Cybersecurity Insiders is one of the most reliable sources for news and stories in the cybersecurity community. Recently they published their research into the security operations landscape with their 2019 Cloud Security Report, in partnership with (ISC)2. In the report, 72% of organizations experienced some cloud security incident in the past 12 months. 

Here are the main causes listed:

Exposed Data (27%)

By far the most frequent type of cloud security breach involves sensitive data being leaked or accessed by hackers. Typically, this is a backend issue where programmers or engineers fail to account for a certain feature or hole. Amazon, for instance, recently discovered that its Ring Video Doorbell Pro included a bug that allowed anyone to intercept the user’s home network. During the setup process, wi-fi network credentials could be leaked, as it was not using Amazon’s cloud services of an encrypted channel. Despite learning about the issue back in July, Amazon had only deployed the patch in early September. 

Other times, the company is simply negligent in protecting user information. Facebook has developed a notorious reputation with user data, implicated in the Cambridge Analytica scandal, which saw the information of millions of Facebook users shared with third-party companies. Recently the company was found to be storing passwords in plain text— which makes it easy for hackers to access and steal. 

Malware Infection (20%)

Even though it’s 2019, malware continues to be a major technological threat as it was in the early 2000s. In fact, malware today has only become smarter and stronger, using advanced techniques to remain undetected by detection methods. Last week alone, a new malware named QSnatch had infected over 7,000 network-attached storage (NAS) devices in Germany alone. The malware was able to modify the operating system scripts, prevent future firmware updates, and steal usernames and passwords. 

Malware can affect anyone from the most advanced government operations to the average web developer. Today, hackers are only getting smarter with how they bypass security and install on the latest firmware and technology. It’s vital to install some form of malware protection to at least cover the most simple malware. 

Account Compromise (19%)

Closely behind malware infections is the compromise of user accounts. Back in 2014, Yahoo discovered a data breach that reportedly compromised 500 million user accounts. A year prior, another 1 billion accounts were compromised. The truth came out in 2017, when the company admitted the attacks totalled to 3 billion user accounts— the largest data breach in history.

The problem isn’t limited to technology firms either. Earlier this month, Texas Health Resources, the largest faith-based health system in the state of Texas, filed 15 breach notifications. According to the report, a misconfiguration in the billing system lead to the compromise of 82,577 patients. Any system that uses an account and password system is prone to unauthorized attacks. 

Protecting Your Company From The Same Pitfalls

Now that you have some understanding of the threats that affect modern infrastructure, you can take the necessary precautions to avoid the same issues. 

Conduct a thorough review of your existing cybersecurity strategy – This is not something to put off until next year. If you hold any sensitive information of any kind, you owe it to your stakeholders and customers. The start of a solid strategy begins with a detailed review.

Hire trustworthy security professionals –  Don’t leave the hard work to the most tech-savvy person in the team. It’s best to get a true consultation from the experts. You may have to pay a premium, but that is the price of keeping your company safe and compliant. 

Educate your team – Ignorance breeds carelessness, and carelessness invites security threats. Make sure each individual on your company understands the basics of protecting their selves and the data they handle. This means keeping software secure, and locking down systems when not in use.

Destroy before disposal – One of the common ways companies are left at risk is when they improperly dispose old computers, servers, or storage equipment. They assume that throwing away a device means it cannot be accessed, but the reality is far different. Companies like Securis can ensure that your devices are properly disposed, and that your data is thoroughly destroyed. 

Don’t leave the fate of your company’s sensitive data and information up to chance. Begin reviewing your cybersecurity strategy today. Consult Securis for more information.

Just two weeks shy of the new year, the US Navy announced a ban on TikTok, the popular video sharing app. Following the ban, service members will no longer be allowed to download the app on government-issued smartphones. Pentagon spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Uriah Orland said that the move was to “address existing and emerging threats.” 

Stories like this are not uncommon, and government entities are beginning to take more drastic steps in protecting society.

The Navy’s ban underscores just one sphere of cybersecurity threats that continue to pervade everyday life. Let’s review the biggest trends to watch for as we begin the new year.

Mounting Regulation

In addition to the TikTok ban, states all over are implementing new legislation that encourages higher levels of cybersecurity or protects end-user data and information. In 2019, at least 43 states and Puerto Rico collectively introduced close to 300 cybersecurity-related bills or resolutions.

For example. Starting January 1, 2020, California will begin enacting Assembly Bill No. 1906. The new law states that all connected device manufacturers must equip them with a “reasonable security feature or features that are appropriate to the nature and function of the device, appropriate to the information it may collect, contain, or transmit, and designed to protect the device and any information contained therein from unauthorized access, destruction, use, modification, or disclosure, as specified.” 2020 will see the enactment of more of these proposed bills as well as some brand new proposals. 

Phishing Campaigns

Did you notice more fake emails this year from people claiming to be someone else? Just as people have wised up and cracked down on phishing emails, phishing companies have gotten smarter about their deception. They are able to collect far more private information, such as our browsing habits, our location, even the names of people close to us.

And much worse, their phishing tactics are no longer exclusive to email. Now, phishing via SMS and phone calls is growing in popularity. Based on a report by AIG, phishing is the top cyber insurance claim, accounting for almost one-quarter of all claims. 

Biometrics and “Passwordless” Authentication

In 2013, Apple introduced Touch ID, a smartphone unlocking mechanism that relied on reading the user’s fingerprint. In 2017, they added Face ID, a similar feature this time relying on facial recognition. And in 2019, more companies are beginning to implement some form of biometric or “passwordless authentication.”

HSBC, for instance, has already implemented a system that lets their customers verify their identity using “active” voice ID. Customers simply state “my voice is my password” during the call, and the system matches and analyzes the user’s voice to a previously recorded voice print. 

2020 will see more “passive” methods that offer more security. Instead of doing a voice print match, artificial intelligence will be able to process more natural, free-flowing speech, reducing the risk of impersonation or coercion. 

AI-Powered Defenses and Attacks

We’ve seen artificial intelligence in the medical industry, in entertainment, and soon we’ll see it in cybersecurity. 

On one side, we can see it predict and analyze malware and similar attacks with superhuman speed and precision. Already, 61% of enterprises say they cannot detect a breach without AI technology, and 48% say their AI cybersecurity budget will increase by an average of 29% next year. A single AI and a dedicated team can keep a company protected far more effectively than a whole division.

On the other hand, the same AI could counteract these security checks and develop a near-impossible-to-detect threat. Director of Strategic Threat at Darktrace, Marcus Fowler, believes that AI could make an attack as early as next year.

“If we haven’t seen it before we celebrate the arrival of the new year, 2020 undoubtedly holds the first AI-powered cyberattack,” Fowler said. 

Reimagining Third-Party Security

In-house security experts and engineers simply won’t cut it anymore. Third-party vendors are necessary in delivering a prime security experience. However, even third-party vendors are at risk.

There are a few reasons why. At times, vendors have non-stratified access to a business’s network, meaning there’s either total security access or none at all. Other times, companies are not privy to the access a vendor even has. Out of date policies and enforcement have also been listed as common causes for vulnerability. 

Privileged access management will become more crucial. Vendors with privileged access will need to explain what they have access to and why they need it. Speedy identification of a vendor’s access and compromisation will also be key to preventing critical attacks. 

Demand for Talent Will Exceed Supply

The writing has been on the walls for some time, but cybersecurity professionals continue to be in short supply. As many as two in three organizations around the world report that they have a shortage in IT security staff. 

In response, various IT tools are becoming indispensable parts of a cybersecurity strategy. These products can effectively allow a startup or team to manage various websites and applications’ security. 

Still, in 2020 it will become more important than ever to form a team of diverse experts, in the administrative, developer, and non-technical roles. Education should become a core part of the culture as new hires are brought on board. 

Despite the many dangers, pitfalls, and nightmares of cybersecurity, the good news is that our technology continues to evolve and expand, allowing us to fight previous challenges with greater ease and efficiency.

The question now becomes whether companies are determined to stay vigilant on their cybersecurity efforts. Unlike other aspects of a business, cybersecurity is not something that can be set and forgotten. It requires continuous research, frequent updates and audits, and a hardened resolve to provide the highest quality protection. Companies that do not take this seriously may find themselves in an uphill battle for consumer trust.

If you need to improve your IT security, make sure you contact us today to find out how we can help.

Thank you for being a part of the Securis community. 2019 has been a great year for us. We’re honored to be trusted by our customers to keep their data safe and their retired IT assets out of landfills. We’re looking forward to growth-filled 2020, and remain committed to holding ourselves to the highest level of professionalism, innovation, and integrity.

Each of us at Securis wishes you and yours a Happy New Year. May 2020 be filled with blessings, good health, and wonder. See you next year!