Data security will continue to be a top priority for IT professionals in 2024. As cyber threats become more sophisticated, IT pros must stay up-to-date on the latest data security trends to keep their organizations safe. Here are some of the key data security trends every IT pro needs to know for 2024:
Move to Zero Trust Architecture
Zero trust architecture will become the norm in 2024. Zero trust means never trusting any entity by default. Instead of assuming everything inside the corporate perimeter is safe, zero trust verifies every access request and encrypts all data.
Some benefits of zero trust architecture:
- Minimizes risk from compromised credentials and insider threats
- Allows flexible work-from-anywhere policies
- Improves data security in cloud environments
To adopt zero trust, IT pros should implement policies like least privilege access, multifactor authentication, and microsegmentation. Multicloud access security brokers (CASBs) and zero trust network access (ZTNA) tools can automate zero trust controls.
Adoption of Confidential Computing
Confidential computing protects sensitive data while in use by performing computations in a hardware-based trusted execution environment (TEE). Data remains encrypted even during processing.
By 2024, the use cases for confidential computing will expand beyond blockchain and AI/ML. Benefits include:
- Prevention of insider attacks – TEEs ensure data can never be viewed in plaintext during processing
- Compliance – Keeps regulated data encrypted from cloud providers
- IP protection – Algorithms and models remain private while in use
To adopt confidential computing, IT pros should evaluate hardware/OS support for TEEs like Intel SGX and AMD SEV. Cloud instances with TEEs and confidential computing services will become more widely available.
Focus on Data Sovereignty
With increased data privacy regulations like GDPR and CCPA, data sovereignty will be a focus area. Data sovereignty means storing data within country borders and abiding by local laws.
IT pros at global enterprises should evaluate solutions to:
- Store data locally within country jurisdictions
- Control where backup data is replicated
- Prevent extraterritorial data access requests
- Provide transparency around cross-border data flows
Tools like cloud storage gateways can retain data within country borders while allowing access globally. Data residency controls in cloud platforms are also essential.
Adoption of Formal Verification
Formal verification uses mathematical models to prove code and hardware are completely free of defects. It goes beyond testing to provide absolute assurance of correctness.
Look for more mainstream adoption of formal verification in 2024 for:
- Critical infrastructure – Proving safety and security in industrial control systems
- Cloud platforms – Hardening infrastructure like hypervisors, memory allocators
- Blockchain – Mathematically verifying consensus algorithms
IT pros should evaluate formal verification tools like theorem provers to verify security-critical internal code and systems.
Increased Investment in Data Security Tools
IT security budgets will prioritize data security spending in 2024. Top investment areas include:
- Data rights management – Persistent protection and usage auditing
- Data loss prevention (DLP) – Stopping data exfiltration and leaks
- Data obfuscation/tokenization – Anonymizing sensitive data
- Data encryption/key management – Protecting data at rest and in motion
Advanced tools like rights management-based DLP, homomorphic encryption, and quantum-safe cryptography will gain more interest and adoption.
The data security landscape will continue evolving rapidly. Staying ahead of threats, evaluating new technologies, and continuing education will be key for IT pros to succeed in protecting their organizations in 2024. Adopting a proactive approach around emerging trends will help keep sensitive data secure.
