As we changed the way we work, cybercriminals followed because the modern criminal is constantly evolving in line with shifts in online behavior and trends. As we prepare to welcome 2021, what trends can we expect from the cyber world?
Mobile devices are part and parcel of today’s increasingly distributed workforce. Laptops, smartphones, and tablets are provisioned by enterprises to increase employee productivity, while providing flexibility to work remotely. But when the pandemic struck, security teams across industries were challenged by the unprecedented speed and scale of the shift. This disruption created great strain for IT security teams. Pair that with the increase in employee BYOD devices, already-overworked IT teams raced to ensure only authorized devices could connect to corporate assets.
Business and security leaders are allowing massive Insider Risk problems to fester in the aftermath of the significant shift to remote work in the past year according to Code42's newest Data Exposure Report on Insider Risk, conducted by Ponemon. During that same time, three-quarters (76%) of IT security leaders said that their organizations have experienced one or more data breaches involving the loss of sensitive files and 59% said insider threat will increase in the next two years primarily due to users having access to files they shouldn’t, employees’ preference to work the way they want regardless of security protocols and the continuation of remote work.
Not long ago, most business was conducted within the confines of office walls, that is, until 2020. This year, work as we know it evolved practically overnight, as employees went home with company cell phones, laptops and information, and many have yet to return. Unlike ever before, companies must rely on their people to secure any work-related technology and trust that corporate data and information are safe. But should they? And is their current security strategy adequate? To find out, we talk to Kory Patrick, Risk & Security Solution Executive at TEKsystems.
One lesson that is underscored by the disruption of COVID and the resulting transformation of business operations is the importance of IT modernization. Here, we know that business leaders understand its significance, but we also see evidence that failing to embed security into the strategies and plans for IT modernization may be a difference-maker.
The risk level to the global workforce has reached its highest since 2016 according to the findings of the International SOS Risk Outlook 2021. The outlook reveals findings from the Business Resilience Trends survey of over 1,400 risk professionals across 99 countries, carried out by Ipsos MORI. It also brings together insights from the Workforce Resilience Council and extensive International SOS proprietary data.
The U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) issued a Private Industry Notification alert, noting that cybercriminals are increasingly implementing auto-forwarding rules on victims' web-based email clients to conceal their activities. According to the FBI, cybercriminals then capitalize on this reduced visibility to increase the likelihood of a successful business email compromise (BEC).
There is an opportunity here for IT teams to stabilize their work-from-home situations while also preparing for the future back in the office, or for many, supporting a hybrid model. Long term solutions are needed for organizational success. There are many steps that can be taken to ensure infrastructure is properly cared for and ready to be used when teams are able to return to the office.
Working at home poses many challenges. One smart solution for enterprises that continues to help maintain business continuity is Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI). It enables IT organizations to deliver a corporate endpoint experience on relatively inexpensive hardware while maintaining strict IT standards that will provide benefits well into the future.
The need for improved security for remote workers requires more resources; however, the ongoing economic conditions often require lowering costs. A Microsoft survey found most leaders increased budgets for security and compliance (58 and 65% noting an increase), while 81% of respondents also reported pressure to lower security costs overall. IT is therefore tasked with protecting their company’s networks from the remote work-related threats while operating with leaner budgets. Doing this effectively will require multiple strategies to make sure your network is secure with the shift to remote work. Here are three examples on how broader security can be achieved.