New research by Red Access shows just how concerned chief information security officers (CISOs) are about their organization’s security, highlighting the need to invest in future protection technologies.
The survey of 300 CISOs across the US and the UK found that almost three-quarters (72%) of CISOs agree that hybrid and remote working patterns have a negative impact on their company’s security, despite around two-thirds (63%) anticipating a predominantly hybrid or remote working model within just three years.
The largest perceived threat, according to the analysis, was an increase in the amount of sensitive data that companies now handle, presenting a higher risk.
Cybersecurity with a remote workforce
The respondents also indicated that third-party apps and integrations are of major concern, adding additional weak points in a process that benefits from being streamlined. More sophisticated cyber threats trailed not too far behind, too.
The most significant threat, accounting for 43% of CISO’s concerns, was related to browsing, with cloud vulnerabilities following closely behind. Thereafter was a concern with misconfiguration, suggesting a healthy degree of confidence in setups compared with workers’ habits.
Insecure browsing and poor endpoint protection were key to the concerns, though many CISOs remarked that the use of personal devices presents a substantial threat, too.
Looking ahead, CISOs appear to want to focus on external communications, with email and messaging ranking highest on the security to-do list, way ahead of video conferencing, which is likely an internal communication platform and so less of a risk.
Red Access CEO Dor Zvi said: “Now that web browsing permeates virtually everything we do at work, malicious actors are doing more to target this expanding attack surface; and it’s clear that CISOs have taken note.”
Zvi predicts that many companies will leave behind legacy technologies in favor of more secure options as they gear up for a more hybrid future.
