COVID 19 has caused an overnight remote working change, bringing along new cyber challenges for IT teams. Although COVID-19 has impacted almost every aspect of the business, there may be a silver lining as remote working can help businesses in many ways.
One of the critical changes driving the new security vulnerabilities has been the speedy switch to remote working. As the conventional working setup from an office location has changed so has the traditional security approach to cyber risk. They now need to secure the perimeter, protect endpoints, firewalls, and networks to prevent malicious activities from getting inside the systems and obtaining essential data, across remote locations.
Currently, with the majority of employees working remotely, likely over unsecured private Wi-Fi networks, everyone and everything are more vulnerable. Companies may have given their employees several remote security devices such as VPNs, remote clients, or reliable mobile access, for instance. Still, they are highly unlikely to hold all the traditional security layers that they would at the workplace, leaving them more vulnerable to cyber threats than in the past.
According to Forrester Research, predicted cyber threats have increased from 25% in 2020 to 33% in 2021.
Therefore, to combat cyber-attacks amid work-from-home situations, businesses may require a service model that can provide essential IT and IT security services at lower investments. Here are a few of the main trends for CIOs to leverage security:
Management skills
According to Kaspersky’s report, 79 % of enterprises in the Asia Pacific area are preparing to adopt a managed service provider (MSP) or managed security service provider (MSSP) in the coming year.
The service model helps CIO to minimize capital expenses and transition business costs. Besides, moving forward, businesses should include management skills within training for in-house IT security specialists.
Cloud paradigm
The growing cybersecurity aspect and digital transformation in businesses will increase reliance on cloud services, making dedicated management and security measures essential.
However, this is highly unlikely to change when employees return to the office. To keep the corporate data under control, better visibility over cloud access will be necessary. CIOs must align themselves with the cloud paradigm and develop expertise for cloud management and security.
Deep integration
There are two significant changes in what consumers require from corporate cybersecurity offerings. Firstly, the degree of security is no longer up for consideration, but now it’s a ‘must-have’. Another significant trend is that deep integration between different elements of corporate security, ideally from an individual vendor, now plays a more prominent part.
For example, back then, various specialized solutions from several vendors could help build the best combination for protection. Presently, businesses are looking for a more centralized approach with the most excellent integration between different security technologies.
Final Thoughts
Knowing the challenges and perceiving possibilities in IT and IT security management is vital for companies to manage their security. Leveraging automation and machine learning, along with control over a highly distributed network of tools and systems, facilitates critical network and data protection. It helps deliver users enterprise-grade protection without financial responsibility usually linked with conventional solutions.
