6 Key Takeaways From SpiceWorld Virtual 2020

SpiceWorld Virtual 2020 wrapped up a successful edition with more than 3500+ IT professionals attending the three-day event to understand the major shifts in technology and its far-reaching impact. This is the first time SpiceWorld, a must-attend for IT pros, switched to a fully virtual format, mindful of the social distancing norms. 

The 2020 edition saw some of the biggest names in cybersecurity, IT systems management, cloud computing, 5G, and network infrastructure take the (virtual) stage. The three-day virtual event hosted industry leaders from Intel, IBM, Cisco Meraki, Chrome Enterprise, Microsoft, HPE, LogMeIn, KnowBe4, CrowdStrike, Baramundi Software, IBM, Vonage, D-Link, T-Mobile, Eaton, and other technology giants who talked about the major market forces driving change and gave insights into the road ahead with immersive sessions.

Couldn’t attend, don’t worry  — we’ve got the scoop for you.  Here’s the best of SpiceWorld 2020 and six key takeaways that will help IT decision-makers reshape strategies and drive purposeful change. 

Learn More: CSOs: Ransomware Is the Biggest Threat in 2020, Get Your Security Act Together

1. Information Security in the Age of Ransomware

Data security and ransomware pose a major challenge at a time when enterprises are generating so much information. As Roger Grimes from KnowBe4, Inc. pointed out, ransomware scammers know that data backups can render the attack irrelevant. As crooks get tired of victims saying no, he pointed out that new variants of ransomware are designed to steal intellectual property or user credentials. The answer might lie in a new form of backup that doesn’t have to “break the bank”, said StorageCraft’s Chip Vacek. 

“The 3-2-1 formula (originating in photography) mandates three copies of your data on two different types of medium, one of which is offsite. What if you had one appliance that used automation to copy and backup data on the same media, also sending it off-site automatically?” he added, explaining his company’s approach to the problem. 

Tarah M Wheeler, Harvard Belfer Fellow and noted security expert (a keynote speaker at SpiceWorld), offered a strategic view with two basic actionable items: multi-factor authentication (MFA) and crowdsourced inputs. “Often, security is called the house of NO. I like my teams to be a house of YES, next week, if you complete these upgrades,” she said. “The most basic thing that you can do is to solicit updates from the online community if/when your company data is available publicly through a simple [email protected] ID.” 

2. Can Security Awareness Training Stop Phishing Attacks?

Grassroot security awareness and adherence are constantly under scrutiny, as among the weakest links in any enterprise security posture. Nick E Claypool, Director of IT at Early Childhood Alliance, said that users downplay threats, taking it seriously only once it becomes personal. In a session aptly titled “Getting Your Users to Give a Crap About Cybersecurity,” he advised IT professionals to convince users their digital identity might be under attack and equipping them with the tools to prevent it. 

A common cybersecurity vector for ground-level users is email. Cameron Hoelscher from IBM shared his recommendations to protect users from email attacks: phishing education, a suspicious email reporting process, informal MFA like double-checking with an employee, and recognition for those who follow these best practices. 

But despite providing security awareness training, organizations struggle to achieve the necessary participation from the workforce. That’s why Richard J Eid, Director of Technology, Woodlands Retirement Community, spoke about making the training relevant and fun. “Interjecting jokes, stories that matter, props, costumes – anything you can use to make your presentation more engaging, do it. Also, training has to be timely. If a user receives new employee training 6 weeks after they were hired, that training isn’t very effective,” he said. 

Learn More: 5 Ways IT Ops Can Lead Workforce Productivity Outcomes in 2020 

3. SMBs and the Changing Tech Landscape

This growing cybersecurity burden and the changes brought on by COVID-19 are a severe problem for small businesses that operate on tight budgets and limited resources. James Morrison from Hewlett Packard Enterprise said that it is important to delineate which investments bring value and focus on that. “Accenture found that security intelligence, machine learning, and analytics bring positive value, while encryption, data loss prevention, and GRC are lower on the list,” he said. 

Apart from smarter investments, small businesses must remember a few key considerations, as pointed out by Joshua Morden from Evans Consulting. These are price per unit, firmware updates (free or part of a license), the cost of additional support, and life expectancy of the solution. 

Demonstrating why it is so critical for small businesses to strengthen their IT and cybersecurity infrastructure, Gary Lobermier, Adversarial Security Engineer at Northwestern Mutual, took attendees through a live hacking session. It showed how old devices or default credentials could leave a glaring knowledge gap between one person IT-shops at most SMBs and advanced threat actors. 

4. Leveraging Emerging Technologies AI, 5G, and Automation for Better Outcomes

Apart from security, SpiceWorld also turned the spotlight on cutting edge technologies like AI, 5G, and automation. Speaking on 5G, Steven J Crowley from T-Mobile said, “5G is based on 3 major pillars – improved speed, better latency, and longer battery lives for devices.” This opens up a variety of use cases from enhanced video collaboration and real-time video analytics to asset tracking, drone delivery, and even entire smart cities. 

While 5G is still on the anvil, Artificial Intelligence (AI) is more mainstream. One of its most prominent use cases is the contact center and customer experience, as Josh Lupresto from Telarus opined. “AI lets customers be spoken to the way they prefer, from someone wanting only phone calls to another person only communicating through Facebook or conversational platforms. If you can give customers those self-service capabilities, you create this amazing experience that ultimately drives CSAT scores up. As a business, you also gain visibility into more data,” he said. 

Turning to automation, an easy way to incorporate it into IT workflows is by automating SaaS management. “It is not worth your time to be manually provisioning and de-provisioning licenses on a daily basis. Once you automate that, you can look into the strategic side, like increasing application adoption, identifying overlaps, and improving employee experience, said Apurva Davé, from Productiv.

He put forward three ways to automate: build your own, use a central spreadsheet to manage other spreadsheets, or using a turnkey SaaS management platform. 

5. Architecting Network for the Cloud

A key network component that requires your attention in 2020-2021 is the enterprise network. Jimmy Tassin from CenturyLink took attendees through an end-to-end preparation process for network transformation with three key takeaways: involve multiple stakeholders, look for modularity, and formulate an easy to read diagram for both management and users. 

A common objective for network transformation is to shift to the cloud from on-premise. Christina  Ramirez from D-Link explained the drivers for this trend: “Businesses want to always be on, always connected. They want the flexibility to adapt and grow. And of course, enhancing security and compliance is of utmost importance. Really, businesses are looking to avoid the complexities in network management as well as IT resources and capital that are required.” 

D-Link’s Nuclias Cloud and Nuclias Connect are among the leading solutions to ease this transformation. You could also take advantage of software-defined networking on Microsoft Azure, which requires more technical know-how but offers greater configurability. Tim Warner, Microsoft MVP, and Azure Solution Architect guided SpiceWorld attendees through the deployment and configuration process for Azure-based networking components, including network security groups, route tables, virtual appliances, and more. 

Learn More: 3 Device Management Challenges For Modern IT Operations (And How to Overcome Them) 

6. Maximizing Tech for WFA Era

2020 is a watershed year for IT, as nearly every company has witnessed a partial to 100% switch to remote work, stretching digital infrastructures to an unprecedented degree. “In March, LogMeIn transitioned our 4000 global employees to a remote working setup, and it was a truly defining moment in our company’s 17-year history,” said Oksana Balytsky from LogMeIn, discussing how the company intends to support this ongoing workplace revolution. 

To begin with, you need a smarter device deployment and management solution that can support remote needs. Steve Ervin from Chrome Enterprise, Google, suggested that Chrome OS could provide an answer. “6% of remote information workers are using a new device right now. The future work is here, and it’s early due to COVID 19. Chrome OS provides the foundations of a successful distributed workforce. You deploy devices faster using cloud-based profiles, you can manage them remotely, and you can access the apps employees need, all while keeping costs low, which is a critical requirement during these times,” he said. 

In addition to device management, companies also need a reimagined approach to security at this time. According to Eric Townsend from Intel, this compromises three facets: advanced end-point management, end-point security, and secure technology for connecting everyone. This is vital if we are to stall the tide of cyberattacks companies are facing right now. “When we look back a few months ago, most companies were operating within an in-office culture. For IT, this meant a fixed security perimeter. But since COVID 19, cybercrime reports that go into the FBI’s crime complaint center has quadrupled,” said Katie Petrillo From LastPass (LogMeIn). 

“IAM can securely let employees access assets required for their role in two ways: single sign-on and secure sharing,” she added.

Our other keynote speaker, Jeffrey Snover, Microsoft Technical Fellow, elaborated on PowerShells’ ability in the face of the crisis. “PowerShell V7 is the culmination of a 20-year journey to help you prepare for drama, allowing you to manage anything from anywhere with no drama,” he said, during a discussion on how to use PowerShell for IT business as usual.

These are some of the most exciting highlights of the event. If you’re interested in knowing more, head over to SpiceWorld 2020 for full videos of the conference, exclusive downloads, and glimpses from last year’s event.  

Which takeaway from SpiceWorld 2020 stayed on with you? Comment below or let us know on LinkedInOpens a new window , TwitterOpens a new window , or FacebookOpens a new window . Wed love to hear from you!