5 Tech Trends We Expect to See in 2020

Posted on 3 January 2020

Now that 2019 is officially behind us, we’re all set to look at how the tech world will shape the year ahead – what can we expect to see in 2020? Here are our predictions.

 

Following major tech events such as MS Ignite and Microsoft’s Future Decoded, we can rest assured knowing that the future is looking greener, more inclusive, and more flexible – with tech playing a heavy part in facilitating these exciting developments.

However, with more advanced technology, comes similarly advanced threats, and we’re sure it won’t all be plain sailing in the new year. So, with that said, let’s kick off the next 12 months with a list of 5 important developments we can look forward to (or dread) in 2020.

 

1. Accessible AI

AI continues to be the darling of the tech world, and we don’t see that changing much in 2020. Thanks to developments by the likes of Microsoft, we think AI will play a particularly powerful role in accessibility over the coming months.

Already, Microsoft have shown their support for making technology – and the wider world – more accessible for individuals with disabilities and disadvantages. So far, we’ve seen Microsoft introduce their Featured AI for Accessibility funding program, as well launching many of its own ground-breaking accessibility tools. These include Seeing AI – a free app that uses AI to narrate the world around you, aimed at helping the low vision community to get around, Helpicto – a pictogram app for non-verbal children, and Microsoft Translator, aimed at helping the people who are deaf or hard of hearing.

With all this groundwork in place and more support for AI projects coming from the technology giant, we can definitely expect to see more accessible innovations in 2020.

 

2. A New Kind of Security Threat

Unfortunately, it’s likely that innovation won’t stop with the good guys in 2020, as cyber criminals escalate their attempts at stealing data and compromising systems. We can therefore expect our headlines to be filled with news of another kind of security threat – or at the very least, we should all be ready to defend against the eventuality.

Elsewhere, there’s the troubling evolution of deepfake videos – the practice of using machine-learning to simulate an individual’s likeness for comedy…or controversy. As the technology behind deepfakes continues to develop, there are plenty of opportunities for cyber criminals to dupe employees into handing over precious data under the guise of being a senior authority figure.

It’s likely that we’ll see more negative stories around deepfakes hitting the headlines, especially as they become harder to detect. Educating employees and implementing concrete security processes, then, should be a top priority this year.

 

3. A Passwordless World

If we’re being honest, passwords have started to become redundant, thanks to the basic level of security they offer. Factor in the human tendency to forget or to carelessly opt for easy passwords, and it becomes obvious that they’re not up to scratch.

In avoiding the inevitable security threats they’re set to face in 2020, we predict that more organisations will move towards solutions such as Multi Factor Authentication (MFA) or Single Sign-On (SSO), and away from traditional password usage – all in line with Microsoft’s vision for a ‘passwordless world’.

These methods help to safeguard access to data and applications while meeting user demand for a simple sign-in process that doesn’t rely on password recall. With tech continuing to develop in 2020, more opportunities – and more threats – will convince organisations to go passwordless.

 

4. A Sizeable Data Breach

New year, new large-scale data breach, right? Last year certainly saw a fair few major organisations suffer heavily at the hands of cyber criminals, and the average cost of a data breach in 2019 was $3.92 million, with predictions estimating that this number will rise even higher over the course of the next decade.

Last year, newsworthy cyber incidents ranged from DDoS attacks to data theft, and didn’t discriminate between industry or size. Although awareness around the importance of cyber security for organisations of all shapes and sizes is growing, we can still unfortunately expect to see another such challenge in 2020.

Thankfully, there are solutions at hand – and experts on your side to help your organisation stay in the limelight for good reasons!

 

5. Growing Flexible Working Trends

As we continue to abandon the restrictive ‘traditional’ ways of working, both remote working and Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) trends are likely to receive another push this year. Of course, while there’s plenty to celebrate in this, there are also some dangers to be mindful of.

Many of these dangers revolve around asking some tough security questions: how can organisations keep their information secure when employees accesses the database via unsecured networks? How do we ensure users aren’t compromised via malware and phishing scams when working without supervision? How do we protect corporate data on an employee’s personal device? Thankfully, we already have the answers to those questions with our helpful blog post about secure BYOD.

 

The Best is Yet to Come

Although it might seem like a mixed bag for the year ahead, we’re still confident that we’ll see a lot of exciting innovation, more understanding around the importance of identity and security, and lots of positive news stories come the end of 2020.

Do you have any predictions for the year ahead? Are they aligned with your goals? Be sure to find us on Twitter and share your thoughts!

 

Make your resolution to work with Identity Experts, and keep your organisation secure and efficient. Want to know more? Get in touch with a member of our dedicated team – we’re happy to help.

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