For the first time since the start of the pandemic, earlier this month, I had the opportunity to attend RSA 2022 in-person. It was wonderful to reconnect with colleagues I had gone so long without seeing to discuss the current state of cybersecurity and future trends in the industry.

From all my conversations with attendees and the presentations that I saw, I came home with three key takeaways that I wanted to share, all of which happen to support the 2022 predictions blog that we published back in December:

1) API security is a main focus

API security was a hot topic at the conference – one vendor even had the tagline “API is the new endpoint.” There was much discussion around how the cloud is driven by and functions on APIs, and the fact that, as API adoption continues to increase, so does the need for cybersecurity companies to protect the technology.

This RSA hot topic supports our 2022 prediction that customer demand for API integrations will increase. Our reasoning was that no one vendor can provide all the security tools organizations need to defend against today’s increasingly sophisticated threat landscape. And, this theme certainly played out in the conversations I had with many people at RSA.

While Query.AI is not in the API protection business, we do have an API-driven approach that allows our customers to integrate our unified browser interface with their cloud, third-party SaaS, and on-premises technologies. For example, companies can use our open federated search to collect and analyze information from any relevant cybersecurity data source to make more informed response decisions. APIs are becoming increasingly important in the cybersecurity world, and the need to protect them is growing right alongside adoption rates.

2) Cloud security strategy continues to gain traction

Another main focus at the conference was cloud security. This isn’t surprising given the massive digital transformation we’ve seen since the start of the pandemic and the shift to a remote workforce.

RSA shed light on the fact that companies are increasingly using multiple cloud providers and looking for horizontal solutions to implement across them, rather than opting for point solutions from a single cloud provider. This approach is gaining in popularity because it gives companies the flexibility and independence they need to drive their businesses forward.

Once again, the cloud focus at the show aligns with our 2022 predictions, this time with our belief that more organizations will move on-premises data to the cloud, as companies look to modernize their businesses to meet the requirements of the new IT world.

I left RSA feeling more confident than ever that neutral third-party vendors have a tremendous opportunity to provide organizations with the horizontal solutions they are looking to implement across their cloud infrastructure. Query.AI fits into this third-party vendor category because we provide a horizontal federated search layer that spans providers and technologies.

3) The cyber talent gap continues

During my conversations with several CISOs at RSA, it was apparent that the strain on their teams due to pandemic-related remote work has not abated and continues to be a major challenge. On top of that, they are also feeling the effects of the “Great Resignation” on cyber talent.
Once again, our 2022 predictions were right in line with key RSA topics. Back in December, we discussed one way organizations can overcome the cybersecurity skills gap: by looking for talent in more cost-effective locations across the U.S.

However, beating the talent gap is about more than just hiring remote employees; it’s about retaining employees by getting to know them, understanding what makes them happy and tailoring retention strategies to each unique individual. Query.AI CISO and my astute colleague, Neal Bridges, gave a deep dive on this topic in his blog, “Neal’s Hot Take: Top Tips for Talent Retention in a Remote World.” Check it out – it has some great suggestions!

In addition to the human component, CISOs made it clear that they are in dire need of trustworthy automation and security solutions that help analysts conduct simpler, faster, and more accurate security investigations (which is exactly Query.AI’s sweet spot). This combination of people, processes, and technology will hopefully help organizations overcome the talent crisis plaguing the industry.

Conclusion

Overall, RSA 2022 proved to be a fruitful conference that has further validated Query.AI’s business strategies and place in the market. We plan to leverage the cloud and continue to add APIs to further fuel our innovative security investigations platform. In turn, this enables security analysts to access the data they need no matter where it resides – helping them make faster, more confident decisions that will protect their businesses from adversaries, while making their lives easier (hello solid retention rates!). Finally, we will continue to bolster our strong product development efforts by hiring and empowering the industry’s top talent – and our entire team has one goal: to support the success of our growing list of customers. Stick with us on our evolving, exciting journey – we’re poised to do big things, and we want you right beside us every step of the way!