November 30, 2021

Gartner Security & Risk Management Summit 2021 EMEA: Day 2 Highlights

We are bringing you news and highlights from the Gartner Security & Risk Management Summit taking place this week virtually in EMEA. Below is a collection of the key announcements and insights coming out of the conference. You can read the highlights from Day 1 here.

On Day 2 from the conference, we are highlighting the outlook for identity and access management, covering the benefits and opportunities of neurodiversity in security practices and looking at the future of data security. Be sure to check this page throughout the day for updates.

Outlook for Identity and Access Management

Presented by Tricia Phillips, Senior Director Analyst, Gartner

Identity and access management (IAM) has reached a tipping point with the distribution of workforce and application access. In her session, Tricia Phillips, Senior Director Analyst at Gartner, explored the outlook for identity and access management for 2021 and beyond.

Key Takeaways

“Identity is the new attack surface. It is the new control plane.”
“Identity is a thread that connects all of our distributed applications, our distributed infrastructure, our distributed customer experiences and employee experiences.”
“Everything is connected by identity. IAM cannot be considered a silo.”
“By 2023, organizations that have increased gender diversity of their security teams by 10% will have 23% fewer losses from security events.”
There are three trends in IAM:
- Cybersecurity mesh architecture is a new approach to decentralize enforcement of centralized decision making.
- Rise of a new type of managed security service provider (MSSP) that is building their own orchestration up, building their own analytics system, and they are integrating with the best of breed technologies.
- Higher risk, remote interactions. Identity trust must be elevated.
“More than ever, talk to the business, make sure you align with the business - more than ever that needs to happen. Sit down with your CIO and ask them what is our application strategy for the next two to five years, what are the experiences we want to enable?”

It’s not too late to join the conference!

Neurodiversity in Security and Risk Management Practices

Presented by Jose Ramirez, Principal Analyst, Gartner

Neurodiverse individuals bring a unique perspective to the workplace and a skill set that can drive significant competitive advantage. In his session, Jose Ramirez, Principal Analyst at Gartner, explained the benefits and opportunities of neurodivergent talent in security and risk management.

Key Takeaways

“Every cybersecurity incident is a Rubik's Cube. There are many ways to solve it, but different perspectives are required to see those differing approaches.”
“Neurodivergent individuals are well suited to cybersecurity activities, but are being “filtered-out” by traditional HR processes and competency models.”
There are eight practical steps for CISOs and IT leaders to follow to attract and include neurodivergent employees in the workplace:
- Build the business case
- Scope the program
- Create the recruitment process
- Elevate awareness and understanding
- Create dynamic support ecosystem
- Communicate do’s and don’ts
- Design an inclusive workplace environment
- Overcome inclusion challenges
“Not investing in neurodivergent talent is not a myth. It is a malpractice.”

Outlook for Data Security

Presented by Joerg Fritsch, Senior Director Analyst, Gartner

From databases to cloud applications, threats are rapidly evolving and countermeasures slowly follow. In his session, Joerg Fritsch, Senior Director Analyst at Gartner, looked at the current trends and emerging topics in data security and shared some key recommendations to security and risk management leaders.

Key Takeaways

“We are standing at the nexus of data security and privacy. They intersect, both forces move closer to each other and produce an intersection that you should use for your business.”
“A common focus of data security and privacy is preventing unauthorized data access.”
“Securing your data against unauthorized access at the same time enables sharing data. Securing data does not mean locking data away.”
“Focus on the nexus of data security and privacy to gain competitive advantage, reduce breaches and support data sharing.”
“Tune your data security governance and data security controls for data sharing economies.”
“Decommission siloed legacy controls that lock away your data.”

View coverage from Day 1

View coverage from Day 3

About Gartner

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