Many businesses still aren’t making hybrid work (opens in new tab) secure enough, despite knowing that the challenge is only going to get bigger in the future, new research has claimed.
A report from HP Wolf Connect polling almost 1,500 security leaders worldwide found that 82% of those operating a hybrid work model have gaps in their organization’s security posture.
Furthermore, almost two-thirds (61%) said they expect protecting hybrid workers to only get harder in the year ahead, while three in four (70%) said hybrid work increases the risk of lost and stolen devices.
Ground zero
“IT teams need a better way to deal with the increase in lost or stolen devices,” said Dr. Ian Pratt, Global Head of Security for Personal Systems, at HP. “This is particularly crucial in industries where devices may contain PII (personally identifiable information) or intellectual property.”
The growing number (and diversity) of target endpoints are only making life more difficult for IT teams, the researchers continue. Different endpoints are considered “ground zero” for attacks on hybrid workers. In fact, 84% of polled security leaders see endpoints as the source of most security threats, and the place where most business-damaging security threats happen.
For two-thirds (66%), the greatest cybersecurity weakness is the potential for hybrid employees to be compromised. These include phishing, ransomware, and attacks on unsecured home networks. They also say it’s challenging to update their threat detection measures to reflect their hybrid employees’ behavior. As a result, they’re having a tough time spotting potential attacks.
Finally, 76% agree the best way to protect their hybrid workers’ endpoints is through application isolation. Still, just a quarter (23%) are using it right now, with an additional 32% planning on deploying the solution in the next 12 months.
