Today’s top innovations are on the schedule for RSA Conference 2021. While you’re attending the virtual conference, what should be on the top of your list? Here are eight trends shaping our industry that’ll be getting some airtime, from artificial intelligence (AI) to zero trust.

Trend No. 1: The IT-OT Convergence

Organizations are connecting their operational technology (OT) to the web as part of their digital transformation, but remote access to OT increases risk. Luckily, there is a way for OT personnel to get along with IT teams. Both teams can then respond to events in a converged IT-OT universe.

Trend No. 2: Adversarial Machine Learning

Adversarial machine learning (ML) is a rising threat. That’s why IBM and 11 other groups came together to design Adversarial ML Threat Matrix. Think of it as ATT&CK for adversarial ML. This matrix has the potential to help defend against attackers using adversarial ML.

Trend No. 3: Protecting AI Applications

Digital attackers are using all types of tools to tamper with the ML models that power AI. Luckily, defenders can hold the line against these evasion, poisoning, extraction and inference techniques. All they need are the right tools to asses and protect against these attacks.

Trend No. 4: Zero Trust

Zero trust architecture can transform security programs. But it needs to be done right. To be specific, it needs to move security closer to the target by providing trusted user experiences. This ensures that zero trust efforts will put privacy first, secure development efforts and overall reshape digital protection to power business growth.

Trend No. 5: Open XDR

The traditional network perimeter is gone. In its place is a mix of hybrid infrastructure that may or may not include more than one cloud deployment. This means it’s vital to move beyond endpoints in threat detection and response efforts. Embrace open extended detection and response (XDR), a new type of solution which integrates SIEMs and other products.

Trend No. 6: Encryption in the Hybrid Cloud

Speaking of hybrid cloud environments, encryption can help protect the data stored in them. But not every solution will work. You need encryption in the hybrid cloud that will protect sensitive business data from even privileged users. This requires an approach that’s taken certain design aspects, constraints and risks in stride.

Trend No. 7: Threat Hunting

Threat hunting lets defenders find and isolate threat actors before they have a chance to do any damage. The only problem is that certain approaches to threat hunting can weigh down the process with tedious tasks. Luckily, it’s possible to put the fun back in threat hunting.

Trend No. 8: Finding Fraud

Digital attackers seized on the events of 2020 to create new fraud operations that targeted users’ personal and financial data. Keeping in mind that many of these campaigns bypassed older anti-fraud techniques, it’s important that security teams rethink how they can uncover large-scale fraud operations. Key to this effort is knowing what types of fraud tactics to look out for.

Tip of the Iceberg

The innovations discussed above are just some of the cutting-edge tools and processes that will take center stage at RSA Conference 2021. To explore more, check out the conference’s website.