Before COVID, cybersecurity was a concern for businesses everywhere. In fact, in Microsoft’s 2019 Global Risk Perception Survey, 57 percent of companies ranked cybersecurity as a higher risk than economic uncertainty and brand reputation or damage. Looking ahead, what does all of this mean for the role of the Chief Information Security Officer (CISO)? Not only is it more important than ever before, but the role has shifted since the start of COVID.
As the head of information security for a technology company with more than a thousand (now mostly-remote) employees, the COVID-19 pandemic has been — among other adjectives — an educational experience. And while it hasn’t been completely smooth sailing, I believe one of the reasons we were able to transition so quickly to remote work with relatively few hiccups is that we established practices to withstand precisely this type of scenario long before the virus swept through our community.
Though organizations have changed their IT environments to accommodate remote workers, 39 percent of respondents have not changed their security programs as a result of COVID-19, potentially exposing their organizations to cyber risks from new and more sophisticated attacks, reveals a new Crowdstrike report.
With telecommuting here to stay, now is the perfect time to re-examine just how much network access you are giving your users and machines. You might be shocked to see how open your network really is. Most organizations allow more access than their users or machines will ever need or should ever have – this excessive trust is what allows attackers who get into the network to spread and cause a lot of damage.
Despite intentions of returning to onsite operations in 2020, many employees remain concerned about their organization’s plans to ensure their health and safety. In June 2020, Traction Guest did a two-part survey consisting of 300 employees and 300 enterprise risk management, physical security and facilities management professionals in companies with at least 1,000 employees.
A new Skybox® Security 2020 Vulnerability and Threat Trends Report reveals there has been a 50 percent increase in mobile vulnerabilities and an increase of 72 percent in ransomware incidents since the COVID-19 pandemic.
To limit the spread of the highly contagious COVID-19 virus, many businesses across the globe have deployed social distancing requirements, stringent cleaning protocols and capacity limitations as part of their plan to safely reopen. Even with these measures in place, retailers, office complexes and educational facilities are recognizing that technology will also play a critical role to help identify individuals who may have the virus even before that person enters the premises. This is where thermal imaging camera systems play a pivotal role.
As companies begin to strategize how their employee office structure will look over the next several months – be it phasing in a portion of the workforce into the office or considering a fully remote workforce - top of mind will be the organization’s security posture and that IT teams can support the needs of employees and the business in a capacity that ensures a smooth, secure transition.
Organizations and their employees have always faced cyber vulnerabilities. However, with remote working, companies need to address the many layers of cybersecurity risks. The recent number of 'zoom bombing' incidents is a perfect example showing that the use of remote technologies at scale is causing new headaches and challenges for IT.
A new VIAVI study revealed that 73 percent of respondents said security professionals need comprehensive visibility into network infrastructure to enhance cybersecurity efforts and speed remediation.