Research from cybersecurity vendor ESET reveals that 80% of businesses worldwide are confident their home-working employees have the knowledge and technology to mitigate cybersecurity risks.
This could possibly be due to increased education around cybersecurity in recent years, but could potentially indicate a false sense of security as well.
This general sense of confidence comes as almost three-quarters (73%) of these businesses also think they are likely to be impacted by a cybersecurity incident. Additionally, of these businesses, those in the information research and analysis (93%) and accounting, banking and finance (87%) industries were most likely to think a cybersecurity incident would impact them.
ESET has explored the attitudes of senior managers toward financial technology (FinTech) and security in the business segment of its global FinTech research, surveying 1200 senior managers in a variety of industries across the UK, US, Japan and Mexico. One of the key areas the survey focused on was business confidence around remote working and its effects on the security of finances.
It was previously announced by ESET that cybercrime has increased since the corona crisis and that remote working has presented increased risks for businesses. For example, the number of RDP attacks increased dramatically. According to the survey, 45% of the businesses said that they have previously experienced a cyber breach.
The pandemic has driven a growth in the awareness of cybersecurity. The pandemic has illuminated cybersecurity as a key concern for businesses, and the World Economic Forum’s Global Risks Report 2021 even ranks cyber risks among key global risks.
Similarly, ESET research outlined that 81% of senior business leaders adopt a cybersecurity-first approach when investing in new technology solutions, and 72% of businesses are actively investing in new technologies for better security of finances.
Commenting on the results, Pavol Balaj, enterprise segment director at ESET, said, “As cybercrime continues to permeate the business world, and with serious financial and reputational consequences, it is essential that businesses are mitigating any risks. Mass remote working has permanently altered the threat landscape, and with new opportunities for cybercriminals to exploit, it is essential that all employees across any organization are equipped with the knowledge and tools to detect and prevent a cyberattack or data breach. Moving forward from the pandemic, cybersecurity cannot be overlooked as an essential part of business strategy, and ESET’s research reflects the necessity of continued investment in cybersecurity.”