The year 2020 put security teams to the ultimate test as once in-person offices quickly transitioned fully remote, with many companies still working from home or in hybrid scenarios as the new normal. The move to remote work only accelerated what we’ve already seen in the cybersecurity space: new IT practices, such as IoT and cloud environments, are rapidly driving the adoption of cryptography-based solutions like public key infrastructure (PKI) to support identity, authentication, and encryption. This not only expands an organization's crypto footprint but also broadens the attack surface — highlighting the need for centralized guidance, governance, and tools to manage crypto and ensure better security practices.

According to Entrust’s 2020 PKI and IoT Trends survey, 47% of IT leaders say IoT is the most important trend driving the deployment of applications using PKI. At the same time, 71% of leaders struggle to understand where sensitive data resides within their organizations. As CISOs build out their strategies for 2021, they can’t underestimate the risks that come with implementing crypto-based solutions, including a lack of visibility and control over this infrastructure which often leads to business disruption.

Not all businesses have the expertise or internal resources available to establish or even assess an effective enterprise-wide strategy for crypto and PKI. Leveraging external resources and expertise will help organizations uncover hidden crypto, institute best practices to protect assets, and prepare for ever-changing regulations and new requirements. By focusing on building a “Cryptographic Center of Excellence” for their organizations in 2021, CISOs can take control of crypto and mitigate rising threats.