“In 2024, we will see tectonic shifts in cyber security due to the impact of artificial intelligence on the adaptability and velocity of cyber attacks, and on identity and provenance,” said Amit Sinha, CEO of Digicert. “This is also occurring at a time when companies will start transitioning their cryptography to quantum-safe algorithms. The intersection of these two trends makes deeper investments in trust a necessity to secure interactions with content, software and devices in business and in our personal lives.”

Prediction 1:

• Senior executives will become more knowledgeable about post-quantum computing, and companies will start accelerating their investments.

According to Digicert, a recent Ponemon Institute survey on PQC revealed that while most IT leaders are concerned about the risk of “harvest now, decrypt later” cyber attacks, business executives are still not aware of the present implications of quantum computing. It also revealed that the majority of organisations lack clarity in ownership, budget and strategy for PQC preparation. In 2024, education and planning activities will accelerate investment in this area.

Prediction 2:

• Identity and provenance become the foundation for content authenticity.

The United States election season will put this issue front and centre. Verified identity will become the foundation of how we can trust the source and authenticity of content. Companies will begin to explore ways in which digital identity can be established once, without requiring additional proof checks each time it is applied.

Prediction 3:

• Software supply chains will see trust embedded in building blocks: inspect before you sign, check packages, provide Software Bill of Materials (SBOM) transparency.

The software supply chain will become more robust, with inspections at various points of delivery. The composition of embedded software will become more transparent with the increasing adoption of software bills of materials.

Prediction 4:

• IoT Trust will enable real world use cases such as EV chargers and medical devices.

Devices will increasingly be secured with identity and operational checks to confirm authenticity. This will enable individuals to interact with devices that support everyday activity, knowing that their information is secure and that the devices are tamper resistant.

Prediction 5:

• Chief Digital Trust Officers will emerge as a key participant on the executive team leading the business.

Chief Digital Trust Officers will increasingly have a seat at the executive table, tying digital trust investment and strategy to desired business outcomes. This will become a foundational element of business resiliency and customer retention.

Prediction 6:

• Zero trust as an architecture will proliferate. Its foundation will rest on digital trust.

“Never trust, always verify” architectures will become pervasive through information technology, product security and consumer ecosystems, replacing networks and VPNs that formerly provided implicit trust to their users. The use of certificate-mediated authentication to deliver identity, integrity and encryption to application and data interactions will continue to grow.