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This year’s RSA Conference (RSAC) was back in full swing, much like before the pandemic. Attendance was full, crowds were heavy, and exhibitors invested heavily in their brand presence to attract visitors and scannable badges. Large, sometimes multi-level booths dominated the North and South Hall entryways, and gimmicks such as VR driving simulators and F1 race cars captured people’s attention.
Aside from the visual components, however, a few themes were prominent: AI and automation, the growing importance of high-quality data in cybersecurity, and data privacy and regulatory compliance.
AI & Automation
RSAC demonstrated that the industry is rushing to incorporate automation and AI tools such as ChatGPT chatbots in their products– even though many announcements and marketing messages were about products that don’t yet exist. Still, the momentum around AI and automation will accelerate very quickly. So the industry should brace itself for how fast this development occurs.
However, with all the buzz around AI, it’s important to remember that AI chatbots are only as valuable as the data that feeds them. If the data is subpar, the chatbot is simply an eloquent idiot without much value. Compared to what many vendors tout, Cybersixgill’s data from the clear, deep, and dark web is the most comprehensive, and automation has been central to our product and technology from the beginning. As a result, we’re well-equipped to become a market leader in this arena.
The Role of Data in Cyber
There were many talks about how better threat intelligence can accelerate attack and security threat reporting. However, like in previous years, the focus has shifted away from how quickly a solution can find and report on threat data to how data can enrich the identification and prioritization of threats based on their level of risk. Many companies we met with focus on data’s value in quickly analyzing threats and vulnerabilities and taking action to minimize risk. This is another significant development in the industry that validates what Cybersixgill has provided from the beginning – and the value of the intelligence data we deliver. We extract that intelligence autonomously from deep, dark and clear web sources, correlating the data – also autonomously – with internal context on each organization’s unique attack surface, minimizing risk and helping companies meet regulatory compliance mandates.
We also heard from industry analysts and other experts that CISOs are keen to integrate and operate their own data lakes and reorient systems and tools to sit on top of that – something that Cybersixgill already enables.
Data Privacy and GRC
Discussions around data privacy and governance, risk, and compliance (GRC) featured prominently. For example, many vendors stressed their ability to provide valuable data on risk, highlighting the role of AI and automation in accelerating data collection and consolidation. Additionally, some vendors addressed issues around meeting evolving cybersecurity and data protection mandates across the marketplace (such as updates to PCI DSS, HIPAA, DOD/CISA, SEC, and more) – mentioning these new regulatory requirements set for organizations within their marketing campaigns.
Another important topic of conversation was how to prove and enforce security and compliance across the business ecosystem and supply chain in light of the increasing consolidation of technology and vendors in the industry. In addition, the increased scrutiny on businesses undergoing M&As and the additional cybersecurity rules presented by the SEC have triggered significant interest in solutions that help companies understand their attack surface and prove they have working security controls to enforce policy and meet regulatory mandates.
To address both areas of concern regarding data privacy and compliance, Cybersixgill delivers the intelligence and insights needed to help companies meet the full range of cybersecurity requirements and provide the proof of adherence necessary to stay profitable.
Conclusion
Overall, enthusiasm about AI, automation, and data shone brightly at RSAC – and optimism about the industry’s ability to stem the tide of cybercrime. With all the hype around AI, it’s clear that the cybersecurity industry is waking up to the core tenet of automation, the basis upon which Cybersixgill was founded in 2014 – and which remains a central focus of our product and value proposition today. While the buzz surrounding some of these advancements should be taken with a grain of salt, we came away from the event knowing that our threat intelligence and the solutions we offer stand out in the market, which makes us pretty excited about the opportunities ahead.
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