Predictions for IT Trends in 2020 and Beyond

Published: June 1, 2023

Technological advancements are coming at us at an alarming rate, and they come with benefits and risks that can be game-changers when it comes to data management and security. With this in mind, here are some of the top predictions for IT trends in these areas for 2020 and beyond.

Data Management Predictions

IT operations are increasingly critical for the success of organizations worldwide, yet the challenges have never been greater as companies shift to the cloud en masse and the amount of data they collect continues to grow. One emerging trend that will help business operations run smoothly in the future is the increasing use of AI for data management.

AI is the key to increased efficiency and productivity within the workplace. Rather than replacing humans with AI, it’s about combining AI with human judgement.

More and more, we will see AI used for repetitive tasks, such as filtering mega amounts of data. These are tasks that are a drain on human resources, and the use of AI will empower the workforce to work more intuitively and ensure services are delivered in the most effective way.

AI is also the key to working with dark data. Gartner defines dark data as “the information assets organizations collect, process and store during regular business activities, but generally fail to use for other purposes.”

Dark data is unstructured and 90% of it is never analyzed. Yet, costs companies an average of $650,000 a year to store. AI can be used to mine this dark data, analyze it, and draw information from it that companies can use in any number of ways, such as to improve customer service.

Security Predictions

Over the past 20 years, security concerns have continued to grow as more and more companies transition to the cloud and the use of AI. With these transitions, the risk of cyber attacks increases, and two of the most damaging are hacking and deepfakes.

As companies transition to the cloud and the use of AI increases, hackers can take advantage of the steep learning curve for both employees and for the AI. These attacks will happen at machine speed and will target cloud misconfigurations and the data being fed into AI programs.

The deepfake, a form of social engineering, can be particularly damaging. According to Verizon’s 2019 Data Breach Investigations Report, between 2013 and 2019 the number of social engineering incidents doubled.

Deepfakes target company employees, including those at the executive level, by making them think they are communicating with someone they know and trust. Audio that has been technologically manipulated is currently being used to make it sound like a trusted person is saying something they never said.

This bypasses fake emails that might raise suspicion. Instead, an employee can receive a phone call that sounds just like their CEO. This manipulative technology will soon advance to video.

Advances in AI can be used to fend off these types of cyber attacks, particularly when it comes to hacking. AI increases visibility by automating the collection and analysis of security data to find anomalies and vulnerabilities in the system.

In addition, more and more companies are using MITRE ATT&CK as the go-to framework for detecting cybercriminal activity and 5G technology will enable companies to have a layered approach to security, particularly with Internet-of-Things (IoT) devices.

Utilize and Protect Your Greatest Asset

Your data is the key to unlocking your company’s full potential. However, that can only happen when you use emerging technologies to utilize it to its fullest potential and protect it from malicious actors.

To learn more about how you can make the most of your company’s data, contact the Solsys team today.