Edge computing, cybersecurity hygiene key to data-driven future

Edge computing, cyber hygiene, collaboration and observability will be taking centre stage within organisations in 2022, according to Splunk.

The data platform company for security and observability has released its Splunk 2022 Predictions reports with insights from senior leaders and technology experts.

The reports identify trends across four key areas: Executive and Emerging Technologies, Data Security, IT and Observability, and Public Sector.

Executive and Emerging Technologies

According to the report, every organisation will need a new approach to talent.

"COVID-19 accelerated workforce change just as it turbocharged digital transformation," Splunk says.

"There's new urgency, and new need, to promote employee well-being while aligning a remote workforce future with new ways of working."

The report says edge computing will have big buzz in 2022 — and will live up to the hype.

"The major cloud providers are making strategic bets on edge architects, and it will become a natural extension of enterprise environments. Edge computing will be enabled by 5G and growing compute power," it says.

"Edge computing will seem overhyped in 2022, but by 2024 it will have changed the world."

Data Security

Splunk says additional large breaches are likely to occur in 2022, and cyber hygiene will be an organisation's best defence.

"COVID-19 extended every enterprise through its employees' home Wi-Fi setup, now basic security diligence is the new perimeter," the report says.

"Consistent security practices including multifactor authentication, full patching and asset identification can help prevent major breaches."

The report says security experts will face rising threats, but some of the oldest tactics are still the best.

In 2022, ransomware is professionalising, and will continue to target the supply chain.

IT and Observability

"Pandemic-driven cloud acceleration left serious gaps in customer experience," Splunk syas.

"Observability will become essential for organisations looking to understand how their complex webs of cloud services are actually performing, providing teams with the ability to observe, understand and act on their data to improve the customer journey.

Splunk says the cloud drove a decade-long wave of frenetic transformation.

Here's what's next:

• Serverless is going to be big. And more confusing than most IT teams realise.
• Data residency laws will create headaches for global IT organisations.
• AIOps and observability are converging; they'll be inextricably linked by the end of 2022.

Public Sector

According to the report, public and private sector collaboration will be vital for long-term success.

"It is imperative to take a whole-of-nation approach to defend against the most significant cyber threats, including threats to critical infrastructure," Splunk says.

"Combining industry and government efforts on planning, threat analysis, and defensive operations is the most effective way to combat cyber threats, including nation-state attacks.

"The cyber threat landscape is simply too vast, and evolving too quickly, for anyone to go it alone.," it says.

"Only through strong, consistent public-private partnerships can we hope to stay ahead of this."