To adapt to hybrid working environments, more companies will drive to adopt the Zero Trust security model. Conversations around protecting the hybrid workforce from risk will lead security professionals to adopt modern tools and technologies, like multi-factor authentication and the Zero Trust approach to security. I believe that companies need these tools to make sure their employees can get work done as safely as possible from wherever they are — commuting, traveling, or working from home — and that all of their endpoints are secured with continual checks in place.
Security leaders will step up their protections against third-party risks. In security, you always need to be thinking ahead about what might come down the pipeline. From SolarWinds in December 2020, to Colonial Pipeline and Kaseya in 2021, our industry saw a distinct increase in supply chain attacks. CISOs and CSOs will need to make sure their vendors are also secure. This includes looking at third parties related to the business and assessing how to best manage any risks.
More public technology companies will create dedicated cybersecurity committees on their boards of directors. One of the most impactful things we did at Zoom this past year was to institute a three-person committee on our board dedicated to cybersecurity matters. Having security industry experience at this level is incredibly valuable, allowing us to readily address concerns and issues in industry shorthand. While this approach is still relatively new, it has been incredibly beneficial and I wish we did it sooner. And I’ve heard peers express strong interest in recreating this approach at their own companies, which leads me to expect this will be a priority for organizations in the new year.
The security hiring boom will continue. We know that cybersecurity professionals are a hot commodity across industries, due to more available jobs than trained applicants. In fact, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that employment for information security analysts is projected to grow 33% from 2020-2030. At Zoom, we expect to continue to hire highly-qualified security professionals throughout 2022. I believe we’ll see the cybersecurity talent pool grow as more professionals choose to enter the field due to increased demand and in many cases, the ability to work from anywhere.
