How the pandemic its impact on cybersecurity – Guide

The COVID-19 pandemic has forced millions of professionals around the world to work remotely. In doing so, it created huge opportunities for hackers. According to a recent international survey by Sailpoint Technologies Holdings, Inc., a US-based technology company, 48% of US respondents said they have been targeted by phishing emails, calls or text messages, both personally and professionally. six months working home. Additionally, more than half of survey respondents in Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA) as well as Australia and New Zealand (ANZ) reported phishing during the pandemic – 10% of phishing attempts at least once a week . with warning. “In the case of phishing, hackers target employees with malicious links in carefully crafted emails,” Sailpoint CMO Juliette Rijkallah told Security Magazine. “When clicked, employees inadvertently download keylogging software to their PCs that provide their credentials to malicious actors. Hackers can freely access critical business assets and data posing as legitimate employees. With Identity Protection, suspicious user behavioral anomalies such as large data downloads or activity outside of business hours can be quickly detected and corrected, allowing users to change their password or revoke access until discrepancies are analyzed and eliminated. can be done.

How the pandemic affects cybersecurity

Organizations were reasonably prepared for the global pandemic

Thirty-nine percent of respondents say they were very prepared to secure WFH devices and applications, while 34 percent were prepared. Twenty-seven percent were unprepared.

COVID-19 and WFH are driving enhanced collaboration

Just over a third of organizations have experienced significant improvements in coordination between business, IT and security executives as a result of COVID-19 issues, and 38% have had marginal improvements in the relationship.

COVID-19/WFH has had an impact on cybersecurity professionals and their organizations

Research indicates that COVID-19 forced cybersecurity professionals to change their priorities/activities, increased their workloads, increased the number of meetings they had to attend, and increased work-associated stress levels. Meanwhile, 48% say WFH has impacted the security team’s ability to support new applications/business initiatives.

Most organizations do not believe the pandemic will increase cybersecurity spending in 2020

Only 20% believe that COVID-19 security requirements will lead to an increase in security spending in 2020, while 25% think their organizations will be forced to decrease security spending this year. Where they expect their spending to increase, at least half pointed to priority areas such as identity and access management, endpoint security, web and email security, and data security.

COVID-19 may not affect cybersecurity priorities

Seventy percent report that they do not know or believe that this crisis will make cybersecurity a higher priority. Only 30% say cybersecurity will be a higher priority. Finally, is COVID-19 causing cybersecurity professionals to worry about their jobs or career choices? Overall, the answer appears to be “no” to both questions, however, the data seems to indicate that there is more uncertainty in the near term about current cybersecurity efforts. “COVID-19 has had a broad impact on individuals on the security team. With 84% of cybersecurity professionals working exclusively from home During the pandemic and nearly two-thirds believe their organizations will be more flexible with work-from-home policies in the future, COVID-19 has personally impacted cybersecurity professionals in their jobs and in their lives. This adds to the ongoing impact on security organizations and teams of the annual cybersecurity skills shortage issue,” Jon Oltsik, Senior Principal Analyst and ESG Fellow. “While it is promising to see that most organizations have managed to handle the COVID-19 pandemic very well, it is surprising that we are not seeing an increase in cybersecurity spending or prioritization following this event. If anything, this should serve as a wake-up call that cybersecurity is what allows businesses to stay open and operational. Organizations that prioritize cybersecurity as a result of the pandemic are likely to emerge as leaders in the next wave of cybersecurity process innovation and best practices,” said Candy Alexander, Chairman of the Board of ISSA International.

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