Three-quarters of UK businesses believe that remote workers pose a greater IT security risk to their business than office workers, according to a new survey from WatchGuard Technologies.
The IT security firm survey revealed that over half of the organisations polled experienced an endpoint cyber-attack targeted at end-user devices over the past 12 months. As organisations adopt a hybrid working model, 83% of UK cybersecurity, IT and business professionals believe the risk of cyberattacks will rise over the next year, the survey found.
The survey also discovered that budget and having the right skill sets are two of the biggest barriers to improving security at an organisation.
With budgets and skills in short supply, Jon-Marc Wilkinson, sales director UK & Ireland at WatchGuard Technologies said: “it is more important than ever for companies to spend their money wisely on technology that will help protect users and their endpoint devices – wherever they are – and is easy to deploy and manage.”
Although the loss of revenue from a security breach is a major concern for businesses, the survey also found that respondents see the loss of customer trust, damage to the brand and potential compliance or regulatory consequences as the main threats to their businesses.
“Cybercriminals will always find new and inventive ways to mount their attacks and exploit the weakest links and target employees when they are most vulnerable,” added Wilkinson. “The survey reveals that home workers are at most risk and that increasingly sophisticated phishing techniques are the most popular way to gain a foot in the door into corporate networks.”
