Cyberattacks continue to increase in frequency and sophistication, often outpacing efforts to combat them. Despite growing investments in security tools and employee training, the vast majority of organizations experience one or more security incidents every year, and the costs of those incidents are increasing.

Organizations increasingly rely on Microsoft 365, both to eliminate the need to purchase, install and maintain software and to give remote workers access to essential productivity applications and collaboration tools. More than a million organizations have adopted M365, which has about 240 million active users.

Cybersecurity was a lot simpler when all users worked within the “network perimeter,” which served as a boundary between the organization’s internal LAN and external networks such as the Internet. Firewalls, intrusion detection systems and other security controls protected internal users and devices from external attacks.

Sophisticated cyberattacks are a top concern of IT security professionals. However, many cybercriminals take a decidedly unsophisticated approach by exploiting known vulnerabilities. According to the 2024 Verizon Data Breach Investigations Report, the number of attacks involving the exploitation of vulnerabilities increased 180 percent year-over-year in 2023.

The report also notes that cybercriminals are exploiting vulnerabilities faster than ever.

Organizations must update and modernize their IT environments to take advantage of generative AI and other advanced technologies.

Digital transformation has been a long-running goal of organizations of all sizes. Many are taking advantage of cloud platforms, mobile applications and data analytics to reduce costs, streamline their operations and enhance the customer experience.

Organizations need a well-thought-out strategy to minimize the threats associated with collaboration tools.

Collaboration tools have become an essential part of the modern workplace. They enable remote and mobile workers to stay engaged and geographically dispersed teams to keep projects on track.

Despite significant investments in security tools, IT teams are unable to detect many threats. According to a recent survey by Gigamon, 37 percent of security leaders said their existing security tools failed to detect a breach within the preceding 12 months.

Backup is one of the most important operations in the IT environment. If data is lost or corrupted due to disaster, security breach, equipment failure or simple human error, backup is the lifeline that keeps your business running.

Traditionally, backup has been very difficult to get right.

Before 2010, the federal government had a patchwork approach to protecting controlled unclassified information (CUI). Each group had its own ad hoc, agency-specific policies and procedures, leading to confusion, inconsistency and inefficiency. In November 2010, the White House issued Executive Order 13556, establishing an open and uniform standard for safeguarding CUI across civilian and defense agencies.

Physical security is a concern for organizations of all sizes. They must take steps to ensure the safety of people, property and assets amid rising rates of workplace violence, theft and other crimes. Colleges, universities and K-12 schools must also reduce the risk of gun violence, bullying, harassment and other threats to students and faculty.