Security | Threat Detection | Cyberattacks | DevSecOps | Compliance

Since 2013, World Password Day has been celebrated on the first Thursday of May and aims to foster better password habits. This event reminds us that passwords are the main guardians of our digital identities and that we must implement complex passwords such as passphrases capable of protecting us. In 2022 alone, 721.5 million exposed credentials were leaked online. As a result of these leaks, account takeover attacks (ATOs) are on the rise.

The need for skilled cybersecurity personnel is having an impact on companies’ ability to stay secure. Despite the global cybersecurity workforce growing to 4.7 million in 2022, reaching record levels, according to data from the (ISC)2 2022 workforce study, there’s still a need for more than 3.4 million security professionals, an increase of 26% over 2021.

Digital transformation has reached all sectors, including non-governmental organizations (NGOs). These organizations have now become more dependent on technology to improve their ability to deliver and scale programs, engage with beneficiaries, and ensure an agile response to populations in need. Although this transformation delivers many benefits for NGOs, it has made them a viable and attractive target for cybercriminals.

A few months ago, I had the pleasure of speaking with Jay Bretzmann, research vice president of security products at IDC. We discussed various security topics trending in 2023, including open identity standards, passwordless technologies like passkeys enabled by FIDO 2.0, and identity-first zero trust security strategies. It became clear that we had an opportunity to share these insights by turning our conversations into an Analyst Connection interview.