remote workers pose greater threat

Earlier this year, we commissioned a survey with SC Media UK to canvass the views and experiences of UK cyber security, IT and business professionals over the last 12 months. We found that 75% of respondents believe that remote workers pose a greater IT security risk to their business than office workers. This heightened level of threat as most companies return to a mix of home and office working, contributes to the massive 83% of respondents who feel that cyber attacks on their business will increase over the next 12 months.

When we asked about specific threats, we heard that phishing attacks are still at the top of the list, followed closely by ransomware. Not surprising maybe when over half of those polled said their organisation experienced an increase in endpoint security incidents over the past 12 months.

With IT teams under increasing pressure to make sure their systems are safe from attack, many are now facing major challenges. But this is no easy task when the survey reveals that a lack of budget and having the right skills are the two biggest barriers to improving security. Faced with these growing threats and restrictions, the survey also asked about the potential impact of a breach. While the loss of revenue is seen as a major concern, respondents see the main threats to their businesses as loss of customer trust, damage to the brand and potential compliance or regulatory consequences.

Sadly, cybercriminals will always find new and inventive ways to mount their attacks and exploit the weakest links and target employees and businesses when they are most vulnerable. With budgets and skills in short supply, it is more important than ever for companies to spend their money wisely on technology that will help protect their organisation and users, wherever they are – and that is easy to deploy and manage.

So, what’s the answer? While cyber criminals are aiming to profit from uncertain and challenging times, cyber security professionals are working non-stop to halt them. For 25 years at WatchGuard, we have pioneered cutting-edge cyber security technology and delivered it as easy-to-deploy and easy-to-manage solutions. With industry-leading network and endpoint security, secure Wi-Fi, multi-factor authentication and network intelligence products and services, we enable more than 250,000 small and midsize enterprises from around the globe to protect their most important assets including over 10 million endpoints.

The WatchGuard survey was run in partnership with leading cyber security publishers SC Media UK https://www.scmagazineuk.com/. To see the results, please view the infographic: The 2021 threat landscape – how prepared are you?