You're considering a career in network security. What emerging trends should you be mindful of?

All these fancy buzz words: AI, algorithms, zero-trust, iso's, threat analysis, real-time patterns and what not. The most important thing you need to have down in order to become successful in a security network career is very simple. Can't stress this enough, seen so many who only know the buzz words... 1) Know your basics down to the teeth! Don't skip things you think "well I know most of that already" - You know nothing John Snow :) 2) Anything you don't understand in details, set yourself the goal to build a tool/hardware that does the exact same. Building what ever you want to understand from the ground up is so valuable... 3) Don't shy away from Math, you will need it. At least spend some time understanding base10 and base16 etc.

Data Analysis: AI algorithms can process and analyze vast amounts of network data in real-time, identifying patterns and anomalies that may indicate cyber attacks. Pattern Recognition: Machine learning models can learn from historical data to recognize the signatures of various cyber threats, distinguishing them from normal network activities. Response Automation: AI systems can automatically respond to detected threats, such as isolating affected systems, blocking malicious traffic, or alerting security teams for further action.

AI is proving to be a valuable asset for companies; however, threat actors are also exploiting its capabilities. Therefore, we must accelerate the protection of the new attack surfaces that are emerging with network evolution, leveraging AI to strengthen defenses against these evolving threats.

Threat Detection: AI and machine learning are increasingly used for identifying and responding to threats more quickly and accurately. Automation: AI can automate routine security tasks, allowing professionals to focus on more complex issues.

Whether you're organization utilize public or private cloud platforms, security entails more than encrypting data in transit and at rest, as well as limiting access through IAM/RBAC. To keep up with the ever changing landscape of compliance standards and vulnerability assessment and remediation, it's imperative to incorporate automation tools that can boost team productivity.

Cloud Service Provider (CSP) Responsibilities: CSPs are responsible for securing the infrastructure that runs all cloud services. This includes hardware, software, networking, and physical facilities. Client Responsibilities: Clients are responsible for securing their data, managing user access, configuring network security settings, and implementing protective measures for their applications.

Data Protection: As organizations move to the cloud, ensuring the security of data stored and processed in cloud environments becomes crucial. Shared Responsibility: Understanding the shared responsibility model between cloud providers and customers is essential for effective cloud security management.

Device Diversity: IoT devices range from simple sensors to complex industrial systems, each with varying capabilities and security requirements. Communication Protocols: Familiarity with protocols such as MQTT, CoAP, and Zigbee, which are commonly used by IoT devices for communication.

Device Vulnerabilities: The proliferation of Internet of Things (IoT) devices introduces new security vulnerabilities that need to be managed. Network Segmentation: Implementing proper segmentation to isolate IoT devices from critical systems can help mitigate risks.

To get down low enough in the OSI model you need a new generation of hardware and software. Organizations chase zero trust only to find they can’t get any deeper than layer 4 because the existing network hardware was designed with inherent trust with the goal of connecting everything online easily. Now that we’ve all grown up and our network usage and behaviors have changed where old iron used to protect locally hosted servers to where it is now in the cloud the attack surface is changing and what doesn’t evolve gets exploited. Nile engineers solved this by inventing a new switch that proxies every connection reducing your blast radius to one. You no longer need to manage complex vlans because access is granted by IAM and not just hope.

Never Trust, Always Verify: No entity, whether inside or outside the network, is trusted by default. Verification is required for every access attempt. Least Privilege Access: Users and devices are granted the minimum level of access necessary to perform their tasks, reducing the attack surface. Micro-Segmentation: Dividing the network into smaller, isolated segments to limit lateral movement of attackers and contain potential breaches.

Access Control: Adopting a zero-trust security model, which assumes that no entity inside or outside the network is inherently trustworthy, can enhance security. Verification: Continuous verification of user and device identities, along with strict access controls, is a key component of zero-trust architectures.

Regular Software Updates: Ensure that all software, including operating systems, applications, and firmware, is regularly updated to protect against known vulnerabilities. Enable automatic updates wherever possible. Strong Password Policies: Enforce policies requiring complex, unique passwords for all accounts. Implement multi-factor authentication (MFA) to add an extra layer of security. Employee Education: Conduct regular training sessions on recognizing and responding to phishing and other social engineering attacks. Use simulated phishing exercises to raise awareness and test employees' responses.

Best Practices: Promoting good cyber hygiene practices, such as regular software updates, strong password policies, and employee training, is essential for preventing security breaches. User Awareness: Educating users about potential threats and safe practices can reduce the risk of human error leading to security incidents.

Regulations: Staying informed about and complying with various regulations and standards, such as GDPR, HIPAA, and CCPA, is critical for protecting data and avoiding legal issues. Data Privacy: Ensuring that data privacy measures are in place to meet legal requirements and protect user information.

While policies and standards are a must have to be compliant and to be audited. The topmost focus of a engineer is to know how to "translate" requirements and directives given in policies to effective security controls that focuses on the business needs. Having a mindset that effectively balances business needs and legal compliance is be the foundation to design and maintain network security.