OK 2019 Pig, Now What?

The Year of the (Earth) Pig is upon us—and the reasonable, robust Earth Pig has strategic vision and business skills. Happy, responsible, and family-orientated, the Pig will be in focus throughout 2019. Whether you were born under the symbol or not, Pigs thrive on organization, and this being the end of the 12-year Chinese cycle, this year is sure to bring some reflection.

2018 (Year of the Dog) brought us vulnerabilities like Meltdown & Spectre, a bunch of open S3 buckets, hybrid clouds, and innovative attacks on vulnerable infrastructures along with the continuous deluge of anything data. These trends are poised to endure as our digital, software-defined lives connect and intersect with the things around us.

New threats and heightened risk may put some companies in peril, simply due to the lack of knowledgeable security IT personnel available in the industry. However, the Earth element with a Yin polarity creates positive energies throughout 2019. All good wills and motivations are renewed and reinforced during the closing cycle with teaching, charity, and spirituality of great importance this year.

So, what does that mean for business?

Traditionally, the Pig is a symbol of wealth, with the chubby face and big ears indicating fortune. Thus, 2019 should be a year of fortune and luck for businesses along with the absorption of negative energies. Pigs are also noted for their kindness, generosity, and tolerance. Similarly, companies have found it’s often no longer enough to simply sell a product without a broader or more altruistic purpose attached. At the same time, larger brands are realizing the roles they play in influencing culture and society. This can, of course, be beneficial since it speaks to our hearts rather than wallets, making a human connection. You typically buy stuff from folks you like and avoid those you don’t—that simple. Often, we purchase based on emotion over just logic.

The industrial and commercial trades are favored in 2019 but also intellectual activities (like writing) are very important. Storytelling and the stories about data will be critical. While many organizations are focused on data gathering and analysis, it’ll be the ‘story of the numbers’ that will ultimately help convert insights into actions. There will be, and already is, a demand for data storytellers. Data, visuals, and the narrative are key for 2019. These stories will fill in the gaps beyond the bare numbers, charts, and graphs.

As noted, this is the end of the 12-year cycle and a perfect time to review, revise, and replenish all that is needed before the new cycle starts in 2020. In fact, the theme for the RSA Conference this year is ‘Better.’ The organizers wanted to tap into the always evolving information security landscape and how technology continuously moves forward…and the fact that security needs to be a top priority and something all of us can do better. I gotta admit, I was head-scratching initially with the theme, but it certainly fits within the Year of the Pig. Review what has happened and resolve to get better.

Areas like cloud, mobility, IoT, and harnessing data will consume IT departments' attentions, securing those trends, and how they map to business objectives will be the pig-slop organizations roll in for 2019. If we are kind, generous, optimistic, gentle, hard-working, realistic, and enthusiastic about our challenges, then luck, success, and good fortune will complete this cycle. Oh, and wear some red this year. It could help too.

The 2019 Pig is here, embrace and prosper.