FedRAMP In Process Designation, 2023 Cybersecurity Expectations, and Channel Sales Growth

With the start of a new year, cybersecurity experts and business leaders are looking ahead to what the industry can expect from 2023.

This was the focus on Illumios January news coverage, including:

• Illumios FedRAMP In Process designation
• Expectations for cybersecurity in 2023
• How 2023s channel sales growth can help fill cyber skills gaps

Illumio is now FedRAMP In Process

CyberWire featured Illumios FedRAMP In Process designation for Illumio Government Cloud in their January newsletter.

FedRAMP is a US government program that standardizes security evaluations, approvals, and monitoring for cloud solutions. Illumio Government Cloud includes Illumio Core and Illumio Endpoint which stop breaches from spreading across servers and endpoints with Zero Trust microsegmentation, also called Zero Trust Segmentation (ZTS).

Illumios work to achieve FedRAMP In Process designation demonstrates our commitment to serving federal customers and ensuring theyre secure against adversaries.

"Bolstering national cyber resilience is a top federal priority, said Gary Barlet, Federal Field CTO at Illumio. "As more eyes turn to defending our critical infrastructure, Zero Trust Segmentation remains a strategic, federally backed mandate for agencies looking to shore up critical assets and to stop the spread of attacks throughout an organization or agency.

Compared to private sector organizations, the Federal sector is an especially tempting target for adversaries of all types, from nation-state sponsored espionage to opportunistic bad actors.

Breaches will happen and ZTS ensures that adversaries arent able to move laterally through a network.

Discover the 7 reasons why the federal sector should choose Illumio for ZTS.

Classified environments, critical infrastructures, and DoD networks require a strong cybersecurity solution that includes both prevention and breach containment in order to protect against the most sophisticated threats.

"Zero Trust Segmentation is a fundamental pillar of any Zero Trust strategy, and Illumio is the industry-defining leader in the space, helping the largest organizations, including more than 15 of the Fortune 100, stop breaches from spreading to dramatically reduce agencies risk, says Barlet.

Learn more about how Illumio helps secure federal agencies here.

Find Illumio on the FedRAMP Marketplace here.

What to expect from cybersecurity in 2023

With the potential for economic upheaval this year, Illumio business leaders and experts provided insight into how to make the best of tough times.

Test your products to ensure they offer real, reliable ROI

SC Medias Stephen Weigand highlighted advice from Illumios PJ Kirner, cofounder and CFO, in his article, Beware economic uncertainty for the cybersecurity community.

"With an economic downturn on the horizon, CISOs are making sure they are investing in the most effective tools to maximize cyber ROI, said Kirner.

What does this mean for cybersecurity companies? They should test their products and make sure they can deliver ROI as promised.

For 2023, Kirner expects to see an "increase in solution testing, with products that can deliver measurable results winning out over products that dont live up to their own claims.

Bolster support and resources for CISOs and their security teams

Cybersecurity business leaders are facing even more pressure in 2023, according to Illumio cofounder and CEO Andrew Rubin. He shared more with SDxCentrals Nancy Liu for her article, Zero-Trust Security Exec Predictions for 2023.

"The new year will be a challenging year for CISOs around the world who have more work, more pressure, and less help, said Rubin.

Because of this, CISOs and their security teams need more support and resources than they may have in the past.

"It will be critical for CEOs to not only ensure their cyberteams are supported but to also get on board with an assume breach mindset, explained Rubin. "Having the right tools and strategies in place to contain inevitable attacks will be critical for protecting not only an organizations assets, but also its people in the age of ransomware.

Think about ransomware and its payouts differently

Ransomware attacks will continue, remaining a major security issue into 2023, said Illumios Adam Brady, Director of Systems Engineering for EMEA, in Leigh McGowrans Silicon Republic article, An evolving landscape: Top 10 cybersecurity predictions for 2023.

But ransomware payouts may start to change this year.

"Ultimately, paying ransomware simply funds the activity, so the only way to eradicate ransomware is to stop the payment of it entirely, Brady said.

He believes the public and private sectors will need to join forces to eliminate ransomware moving forward.

"It is unlikely that any new legislation will be introduced in the next year, but we will certainly see discussions start to materialize about what this may look like and possibly the first iteration of this developed, he expects.

Streamline and integrate your OT and IT security strategies

With the ransomware threat increasing in 2023, organizations will need to ensure their highly connected networks are structured, efficient, and visible an insight from Illumios Trevor Dearing, Director of Critical Infrastructure, also featured in McGowrans Silicon Republic article.

"As environments become increasingly connected, organizations will need a more single and structured approach to cybersecurity, with prioritization given to improving visibility and monitoring to reduce cyber risk, Dearing said.

This means that operational technology (OT) systems will be integrated into existing IT security strategies to improve cost and efficiency.

"It will no longer make sense for organizations to have separate teams for IT and OT security, with the disconnect opening organizations up to even bigger security threats, explained Dearing.

Channel sales expected to accelerate in 2023 filling cyber skills gaps

Some positive news for 2023? Cybersecurity is one of the most promising growth areas for channel partners this year, according to MicroScopes Billy MacInnes in his article, The channel is key to plugging cyber skills gap.

2022s upheaval and uncertainty which experts believe will continue into 2023 mean a greater focus for many organizations on strengthening their security posture and ensuring their cyber resilience.

This preparation has already begun. MacInnes cites a recent report revealing that nearly 91% of sales in the third quarter for the worldwide cybersecurity market came from the channel, with channel sales growing at a faster rate than direct sales.

Because of this, channel partners are optimistic about cybersecuritys potential in 2023 despite economic uncertainty. According to the report:

• 27% expected their cybersecurity revenue to grow by more than 20% in 2023
• 27% anticipated growth of 11-20%
• Only 10% of partners expected cybersecurity sales to decline in 2023

Learn more about Illumios partner ecosystem.

MacInnes highlights the channels strengths in 2023 beyond sales, noting in particular how the channel can help fill the global cyber skills gap. Illumios Scott Walker, Channel Sales Director for EMEA, commented on this unique channel opportunity.

"Weve already seen the start of a wave of layoffs in the technology sector, and with most businesses already grappling with skills shortages, it will be the channel that will have to step up to plug any gaps, he said.

An economic recession in 2023 will force many organizations to put their hiring plans on hold. But channel partners can step in to ensure organizations remain secure and ready for whatever comes next.

"Highly skilled individuals within the channel who can see the industry and its shortcomings from all angles will be critical in providing the upskilling, consultancy, and technology needed to reduce cybersecurity risks and build resilience, explained Walker.

Read MicroScopes 2023 channel expectations here.

Ready to get started with Illumio Zero Trust Segmentation? Contact us to find out how Illumio can help strengthen your defenses against cybersecurity threats.