30 Sep Pandemic drives cyber threats

Seventy four per cent of organisations say that damaging cyberattacks are a result of vulnerabilities in the technology that was put into place during the pandemic, according to Tenable Inc.

In the Beyond Boundaries: The Future of Cybersecurity in the New World of Work report, it also reveals that 80 per cent of security and business leaders believe they’re more exposed to cyber threats as a result of the rise in home working.

Amit Yoran, CEO, Tenable, commented: “Remote and hybrid work strategies are here to stay and so will the risks they introduce unless organisations get a handle on what their new attack surface looks like.”

He continued: “This study reveals two paths forward — one riddled with unmanaged risk and unrelenting cyberattacks and another that accelerates business productivity and operations in a secure way. CISOs and CEOs have the opportunity and responsibility to securely harness the power of technology and manage cyber risk for the new world of work.”

To address some of the issues, two thirds of security leaders intent to increase cybersecurity investments over the next 12-24 months. Around three quarters of those with that intention are planning to focus their spending on vulnerability management and cloud security. They’re also recognising the security risk associated with talent shortages. Of those leaders lacking a full team, 64 per cent say they will be increasing headcounts over the next year.

The pandemic also saw more IT teams move towards offering cybersecurity as a service.