The new Remote Work Report from Bitglass is out and according to researchers while 84% of businesses say they'll continue supporting work-from-home options for their employees nearly half (41%) have not expanded secure access for their workers.
This could put businesses at risk for data breaches and other attacks as phishers and fraudsters have not lessened their attacks against either consumers or businesses during the COVID-19 crisis.
"Many organizations are not implementing the security measures necessary to protect their data in the current business environment," said Anurag Kahol, CTO of Bitglass. "For example, while respondents said that the pandemic has accelerated the migration of user workflows and applications to the cloud, most are not employing cloud security solutions like single sign-on (SSO), data loss prevention, zero trust network access, or cloud access security brokers. On top of that, 84% of organizations reported that they are likely to continue to support remote work capabilities even after stay at home orders are lifted. To do this safely, they must prioritize securing data in any app, any device, anywhere in the world."
Other interesting findings from the report include:
• 72% of businesses say malware is their chief security concern, 68% worry about securing file share applications and 47% worry about the security of web applications
• 65% are focused on secure network access
• 55% are focused on securing SaaS apps including Slack or securing personal devices used for work
Another area of concern? C-suite execs. According to MobileIron data most C-suite executives believe IT security compromises their personal privacy (68%) or that it limits their device usability (62%), and more than half (58%) say IT security is too hard to understand.
"These findings are concerning because all of these C-suite exemptions drastically increase the risk of a data breach," said Brian Foster, SVP Product Management, MobileIron. "Accessing business data on a personal device or app takes data outside of the protected environment, leaving critical business information exposed for malicious users to take advantage of. Meanwhile, MFA - designed to protect businesses from the leading cause of data breaches, stolen credentials - is being side-stepped by C-Suite execs."
Most IT pros say C-suite execs are the most likely to be targeted for phishing attacks (78%) and to fall victim to such an attack (71%), making it all the more important for these employees to know how to protect their devices.
More data from the MobileIron report can be accessed here
But, not all the news is bad news when it comes to business security. Data out from 1Password's new study finds that, at least for IT workers, most are following best practices and rules from the company (58%) about security protocols better as they work from home than when at the office.
The biggest risks could be to small businesses because they are more likely to relax security protocols during situations like this (46%) according to the report. Other interesting findings include:
• 35% of SMBs say they have plans to improve cloud security after the COVID crisis has passed
• 84% of workers say security should trump convenience in the IT space
• 63% of IT workers say other employees are following protocols better from home than when they were at the office
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