In a recent interview, the Gurus had a conversation with Robert Hann, VP of Technical Solutions at Entrust, about the future of IT and the challenges that come with it for security teams and business leaders worldwide.
Hann predicts that the next 5-10 years will bring significant changes to the IT industry, with AI, Robotics, and Quantum Computing leading the charge. The rise of “consumable” AI has sparked mass adoption and integration into various aspects of business and personal life. As AI continues to mature, experts are dubbing this era as the “intelligent era,” marking a new phase of technological evolution.
Reflecting on the evolution of robotics over the last decade, Hann recalls a time when robots were mainly used in industrial settings for tasks like manufacturing. However, the application of robots has expanded significantly, with AI playing a crucial role in enhancing their capabilities. The integration of autonomous AI agents into digital landscapes is poised to reshape the workforce and redefine how businesses operate in the coming years.
With these advancements, the responsibility falls on cybersecurity professionals to ensure data security and protect individuals from fraud and privacy breaches. Maintaining verified identity, controlling access permissions, and implementing data encryption are crucial challenges that the cybersecurity industry must address in a world where autonomous machines are becoming more prevalent.
As AI continues to evolve rapidly, new cybersecurity challenges are emerging. AI has the potential to be both a force for good and bad, requiring cybersecurity teams to leverage AI in sophisticated ways to combat cyber risks effectively. From threat detection and response to deepfake detection, AI-driven capabilities are being used to bolster cybersecurity defenses against a variety of threats.
Ethical considerations also come into play as technology advances. Ensuring that AI systems are transparent, accountable, and free of bias is essential to maintain public trust and ensure fair treatment of individuals. As organisations adopt large language models (LLMs) to enhance productivity and creativity, addressing biases and ethical concerns becomes a critical task for cybersecurity professionals.
Looking ahead, Hann anticipates that quantum computing will pose significant threats to current encryption methods. Organisations must prepare for the shift to post-quantum cryptography (PQC) to secure their data against potential quantum attacks. The migration from classical public key cryptography to PQC will require a proactive approach and the implementation of robust cybersecurity measures to mitigate future threats.
In conclusion, the IT industry is on the brink of major transformations driven by AI, Robotics, and Quantum Computing. Cybersecurity professionals must adapt to these changes by upskilling in AI, network security, threat detection, and post-quantum cryptography to defend against emerging threats and secure data in the intelligent era. As technologies evolve, the need for ethical considerations and proactive cybersecurity measures will only become more pressing, emphasizing the importance of staying ahead of the curve to protect against future risks.