Google Cloud Platform Shares About Security Trends to Watch in 2019

Per the search giant, IT Pros and system admins must mitigate risks for phishing, malware, and ransomware risks. Also: more workers will use virtual employee assistants in their daily jobs over the next couple of years, support for Azure Migrate is now available for Azure Government customers, and there are updates for SharePoint migrations and Cisco's Webex Teams software.

3 Min Read
Data Security Padlock

Enterprise security is the responsibility of everyone in the organization, said the Google Cloud security team in a state-of-the-union blog post.

Education, awareness, and good computing skills are some of the best resources against these threats. Every major cloud provider these days include security as a key element of their services so many of the threats which used to land in your users' email inboxes are not even making it into your system because they are blocked at the source. A properly configured security approach can put your company in a position to greatly reduce the risk of customer data loss and exposure that accompany many of these breaches. 

Of course, as new security features are implemented by providers, that also means they become targets for the attackers so being aware of what these new attack vectors might be will give you an advantage in the long run.

That is why the Google Cloud Security team has published a list of trends they believe will add to the overall security of services but could also be potential points of concern as they are being implemented.

Here are a few of the areas they have identified:

  • Attacks that skirt two-step verification (2SV) will push high-value targets to adopt stronger 2SV methods.

  • Attackers will turn their attention to more sophisticated attacks on cloud-native environments like containers. 

  • Vulnerabilities in open-source software will become increasingly common, requiring more rigorous testing.

You can read all nine trends on the Google Cloud Blog plus you can read about security for the other major cloud providers (Amazon and Microsoft) at their own sites for further insight and awareness.

ALSO:

By 2021, Gartner, Inc. predicts that 25 percent of digital workers will use a virtual employee assistant (VEA) on a daily basisSaid Gartner senior director Annette Jump, “Industries such as insurance and financial services are showing strong interest in piloting VEAs internally. We’ve also witnessed VAs being used in IT, customer service and information queries.”

Microsoft Teams now includes features aimed at workers who aren't tethered to a desk: location sharing, smart camera and the ability to record and share audio messages. IT admins can also customize Teams capabilities depending on employee role, so some employees may have access to private chats, calendars, and calls, while others only have access to teams and channels. Also of note: The company rolled out a new API meant to boost the Team's Shifts feature with existing enterprise scheduling systems.

A new streamlined SharePoint Migration Tool allows users to start new migrations without having to restart the SharePoint Migration Tool. The tool also sports a new simplified interaction flow and review experience.

Azure Migrate now supports Azure Government as a migration project location. In addition to now being able to store discovered metadata in the US Gov Virginia region, Azure Migrate now supports storing the metadata in the United States and Europe geographies. 

Cisco Webex Teams can now edit files stored in Microsoft OneDrive and Microsoft SharePoint Online within Webex Teams. The work is the result of Cisco deploying on Microsoft's open APIs; Microsoft is on the record as seeing no need to work directly with Cisco on interoperability. 

 

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About the Authors

Richard Hay

Senior Content Producer, IT Pro Today (Informa Tech)

I served for 29 plus years in the U.S. Navy and retired as a Master Chief Petty Officer in November 2011. My work background in the Navy was telecommunications related so my hobby of computers fit well with what I did for the Navy. I consider myself a tech geek and enjoy most things in that arena.

My first website – AnotherWin95.com – came online in 1995. Back then I used GeoCities Web Hosting for it and WindowsObserver.com is the result of the work I have done on that site since 1995.

In January 2010 my community contributions were recognized by Microsoft when I received my first Most Valuable Professional (MVP) Award for the Windows Operating System. Since then I have been renewed as a Microsoft MVP each subsequent year since that initial award. I am also a member of the inaugural group of Windows Insider MVPs which began in 2016.

I previously hosted the Observed Tech PODCAST for 10 years and 317 episodes and now host a new podcast called Faith, Tech, and Space. 

I began contributing to Penton Technology websites in January 2015 and in April 2017 I was hired as the Senior Content Producer for Penton Technology which is now Informa Tech. In that role, I contribute to ITPro Today and cover operating systems, enterprise technology, and productivity.

https://twitter.com/winobs

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