Security conferences are a great chance to stay on top of the latest technology and get a glimpse into market trends presenting in real time. While the 2024 RSA conference has come to an end, we’re looking back at some key takeaways from this year’s event to better prepare ourselves, and our customers, against evolving digital threats.
Our Bolster team met with company leaders and security experts during multiple happy hours and networking events throughout conference, as well as spent time on the show floor. While we were experiencing product launches and partaking in demo presentations, we noticed some key trends transcending across our days at RSA; here are our key takeaways from the 2024 conference.
AI, AI, and More AI
We know this comes as no surprise; AI dominated this year’s RSA conference. From new AI tools hitting the market left and right, to AI as the foundational technology powering data collection for the majority of those in the cyber space, the biggest takeaway from this year’s conference is that AI is here to stay.
We’re big supporters of AI ourselves. Our detection and takedown technology powers our customers’ ability to monitor for impersonation scams targeting their business. AI has changed the speed and accuracy of anti-phishing and scam protection across the global market, and companies are leaning into the efficiency of AI solutions for a variety of products and services in the security world.
See how AI-powered dark web monitoring provides a fast-tracked view of your business-critical risk exposure.
Almost all companies we came across are either pivoting to an AI focus for the operation of their product or are investing in AI tools and products. If the RSA Conference taught us anything, it’s that it’s no longer enough to rely on manual or human-backed operations to manage cyber risks.
The adoption of AI in recent years hasn’t come without a cost; business’s access to AI technology, and the implementation of AI-powered LLMs to highlight efficiency also has led to an explosion of “AI Solutions” that might be doing more harm than good. We identified a common thread at this year’s RSA conference of a push towards security investments for new AI tools.
It’s important to ensure the latest and greatest tools you’re introducing to your business infrastructure aren’t putting your business and employee data at risk. Not every AI-backed technology might be as good as it seems.
Customization is Key
On top of a focus on quicker, AI-backed technology, companies highlighted customization capabilities for their customers with this year’s RSA presentations. Not every business faces the same set of risks, or has the same priorities when it comes to handling threats. Instead of pushing customers to adopt the technology and data in a uniform manner, this year’s RSA conference highlighted an exciting shift to a customer-focused approach.
From access to customizable risk reports, to business-specific API discovery technology, customer’s unique cybersecurity needs were being addressed across the board. With better access to data and platform dashboards that are customized to a business’s specific needs, teams can experience more efficient processes and a more upfront ROI.
What does this mean for cybersecurity technology providers? It’s not enough to put forward a one-size-fits-all product. Our cybersecurity solutions need to be flexible, and customizable to work best for each individual customer. That’s the only way we will strengthen our digital ecosystem against phishing and impersonation scams.
Early Threat Identification is the Name of Game
The third and final key trend we flagged is the continued focus on early threat identification in cyber risk programs. Yes, accuracy is key. But when it comes to phishing threats, impersonation scams, stolen credentials, and other business-critical threats, the longer bad actors remain undetected, the more damage can be done.
The quicker your business can identify the threats on your plate, the quicker you can decide what your priorities are. This was top-of-mind for many cybersecurity offerings at RSA this year, with countless companies launching products aimed at identifying threats earlier in the kill chain. Where many traditional risk protection solutions focus on current threats like email blockers, or password protectors, taking a step back and focusing on earlier indicators of network attacks can help better protect data before damage is done.
So, what does this mean for your business? Whether you’re a security provider, or a business looking for the best tools to defend against cybersecurity threats, establishing efficient cyber defense strategies that identify threat types earlier on in the kill chain is an important focus for security and risk professionals in our current risk landscape.
Post RSA: Acting on Key Trends
If you’re interested in learning more about our takeaways from RSA, or how you can highlight efficiency and customization with an AI-technology that works for your business, check out some of our other impersonation defense resources.
If you want to learn more about Bolster’s AI-powered cyber risk detection and takedown offerings, walk through our on-demand demos today.
