Post Pandemic: Remote Working Escalates Cyber Security Concerns
New study reveals 65% believe SaaS products cause biggest cyber security threat for remote and hybrid working in 2022
New report from Acora, reveals that 77% of UK IT leaders will spend the same or more time on cyber security services in 2022 – proving that concerns are escalating YoY.
The Acora CIO Report 2022 surveyed 100 UK-based IT decision-makers in organisations with 500+ employees, delving into cyber security issues.
It found that two thirds (62%) of people are still working remotely, and according to the ONS 84% of those working remotely in the pandemic continue to do so for some or all of the time in the future.
Working from home has increased the need for SaaS products used by businesses, thus escalating the threat of data leaking, phishing and other cyber security issues.
65% of IT leaders believed that SaaS security was the biggest cyber security concern, data leakage was second (57%) and phishing was third (49%).
As hybrid and remote working continues, it brings increased and persistent concerns for cyber security. Here is the full list of issues, as per IT decision makers:
- SaaS Security (65%)
- Data Leakage (57%)
- Phishing (49%)
- Certification compliance (44%)
- Patching (36%)
- Ransomware (35%)
- Supply chain auditing (29%)
LEE GANGLY, CIO, at Acora says, “Balancing cybersecurity controls with giving users the freedom to work seamlessly and productively is the biggest headache of the new hybrid working era.
As CIOs, our job now is to move out of that reactive mindset, and proactively equip our teams, users and wider organisations for the new hybrid world we now inhabit. It’s going to be possibly the biggest technical challenge we’ve ever faced; and a fascinating journey.”
97% of businesses already have a formal cyber-security policy in place, or plan to implement one in the next 12 months.
Signalling that hybrid and remote working is here to stay, this study revealed that these plans look one to three years ahead.
As hybrid and remote working becomes decoupled from the pandemic and is evolving into a basic, standalone offering, it is crucial that businesses invest in a strong cyber security policy to keep their organisations safe
Methodology
The sample comprised 100 UK-based IT decision makers, all in companies and organisations with 500+ employees. As in previous years, the survey was conducted with Foundry, formerly International Data Group (IDG), the world’s leading technology media, data and marketing services company.
The report started out as a rapidly-deployed response to unprecedented events, it now looks set to be a long-term paradigm shift in how and where users consume IT services.
The survey asked IT leaders to share their thoughts on trends that emerged during the pandemic, and how these are shaping their plans for the years ahead, questions focused on five key areas:
- Changes in it budgets
- IT priorities to accommodate remote and hybrid working
- The importance of delivering a positive user experience
- The challenges of balancing productivity goals and security requirements
- Technology investment plans to support agile working
About Acora
Award-winning, UK-based and with over 300 clients, Acora lead the charge with a range of best-in-class managed services, Microsoft-centric business software, and cloud solutions designed to help ambitious mid-market organisations succeed in the digital economy.