Intelligent CIO APAC Issue 01 | Page 38

TALKING business ‘‘ Securing an increased edge If Bring-Your-Own-Device (BYOD) and Shadow IT were cybersecurity concerns pre-COVID-19, the pandemic has brought with it a new wave of increased pressure on IT teams. A recent survey revealed that 71% of security professionals had reported an increase in security threats or attacks since the start of the virus outbreak, while nearly half (47%) of respondents claimed home workers using shadow IT represented a major problem. Hackers are taking the opportunity to pounce, with the FBI warning that cyberattacks targeting those who work from home have increased during COVID-19. Meanwhile, according to the Australian Cybersecurity Center, since early March 2020 there has been “a significant increase in COVID-19 themed malicious cyber activity across Australia: Between 10 and 26 March, the ACSC has received over 45 cybercrime and cybersecurity incident reports from individuals and businesses, all related to COVID-19 themed scam and phishing activity.” The true number of incidents is likely to be greater as these figures only account for incidents reported. “ More endpoints equate to more opportunities for breaches to occur, and it only takes a stray click of one malicious link for ransomware to infect an entire network. IT ONLY TAKES A STRAY CLICK OF ONE MALICIOUS LINK FOR RANSOMWARE TO INFECT AN ENTIRE NETWORK. Bouncing back Endpoint security, particularly with the increase in devices on the network, should be a chief concern for IT teams. But an ability to bounce back in the event of a breach is just as critical, if not more so given the increase in endpoints and the subsequent increased likelihood of a breach. Ensuring all critical data is backed up frequently ensures that, in the event of a breach or ransomware attack, organizations can quickly get back online and working again. This happened in 2016 when Langs Building Supplies was infected by the CryptoLocker ransomware after an employee fell victim to a phishing email. Within minutes, thousands of the company’s files were encrypted. Because Langs had a well-defined data management policy and immutable back-up solution, they restored operations in less than an hour without paying the ransom. With the right platforms in place, businesses can react and recover quickly and reduce downtime while balancing the work-from-home needs of staff, from technology to wellbeing. Organizations are beginning to see the benefits of working from home, with some preparing to make the move permanent for staff. Those looking to keep employees happy and engaged while working remotely will need to provide some wiggle room with regards to Shadow IT and device access. Once the right tools become commonplace, organizations will be able to strike a better balance between flexibility and security and be better equipped to enable a more flexible working environment. • 38 INTELLIGENTCIO www.intelligentcio.com