Networking and hardware company Cisco stated that organizations became most concerned about data sharing during the COVID-19 pandemic. In its dual research studies, the company revealed the security challenges that organizations face while supporting employees and customers in remote working conditions. It also highlighted that increasing cybersecurity spending will make organizations and consumers ready for the current working conditions.
According to Cisco’s Future of Secure Remote Work Report, most organizations across the globe are only somewhat prepared to support a remote workforce environment. The report also found:
- 85% of organizations said that cybersecurity is extremely important or more important than before COVID-19.
- Secure access is the top cybersecurity challenge faced by the largest proportion of organizations (62%) when supporting remote workers.
- One in two respondents said endpoints, including corporate laptops (56%) and personal devices (54%), are a challenge to protect in a remote environment.
- 66% of respondents indicated that the COVID-19 situation will result in an increase in cybersecurity
Cisco’s second annual Consumer Privacy Survey revealed that consumers globally are worried about the privacy of remote working tools and are uncertain about organizations data security policies. Findings include:
- 60% of respondents are concerned about the privacy of remote collaboration tools.
- 53% want privacy laws maintained, with little or no exception for pandemic-related data.
- 48% feel they are unable to effectively protect their data today, and the main reason is that they cannot figure out what companies are doing with their data.
- 56% believe governments should play the primary role in protecting consumer data, and consumers around the world are highly supportive of the privacy laws enacted in their country.
Jeetu Patel, SVP and GM of Cisco’s Security & Applications business, said, “Security and privacy are among the most significant social and economic issues of our lifetime. Cybersecurity historically has been overly complex. With this new way of working here to stay and organizations looking to increase their investment in cybersecurity, there’s a unique opportunity to transform the way we approach security as an industry to better meet the needs of our customers and end-users.”
Harvey Jang, VP, Chief Privacy Officer, Cisco, “Privacy is much more than just a compliance obligation. It is a fundamental human right and business imperative that is critical to building and maintaining customer trust. The core privacy and ethical principles of transparency, fairness, and accountability will guide us in this new, digital-first world.”
