Data Security has a near-permanent place on our Top 10 Disruptive Trends list. Each innovation and new type of technology creates new vulnerabilities, which in turn creates new demand for innovations in security. In 2017, we saw a number of large data breaches, with Equifax and Uber most prominent.
2018 has already started with a clear need for Data Security solutions, as the Spectre and Meltdown chip vulnerabilities have consumers and companies worried about their data. Even as chipmakers attempt to create patches, there are still concerns about what the vulnerabilities mean for the data that are on devices.
Given all this, even the biggest players in the security space aren’t able to keep up with the pace of things on their own. To fill in the gaps in their portfolio, they must purchase smaller companies building innovative solutions. Buyer strategies will vary, with Symantec both buying (Skycure, Fireglass and others) and selling (its web and PKI business going to Digicert).
Going forward, we will see a combination of this trend and the AI Enablement as companies try to not only automate responses to threats but try to integrate predictive elements into their software to ensure that companies and people that look like attractive targets are better protected.