84% of Businesses Are Expected to Increase Remote Work After COVID-19 Despite Cybersecurity Risks

Despite established cybersecurity risk from work from home status, the majority (84%) of US organizations plan to broaden their work from home allowance following the coronavirus pandemic. 70% of IT pros state they are concerned with work from home (WFH) security risks, according to Pulse Secure, proven by the spiked security concerns present during the forced WFH of most businesses during the coronavirus pandemic. 

It’s no surprise that the coronavirus pandemic catapulted many companies into a majority or complete WFH status, without the proper time and preparation to control unnecessary security risk. In the 2020 Remote Work From Home cybersecurity report created by Pulse Secure, findings showed that the accelerated response by companies in the face of a global pandemic created security concerns, challenges and anticipated additional outcomes to be aware of moving forward, should WFH continue. 

Over half of organizations (63%) reported at least 25% of their employees working remotely before the pandemic ever began. Now, during the pandemic (and expected post-pandemic even), we are seeing three-quarters (75%) of the workforce working from home.

So, what does this really mean? 

Key Findings from the 2020 Remote Work From Home Report: 

• 33% of organizations reported they were not adequately prepared for the massive shift to WFH
• Despite a lack of feeling prepared, 54% of organizations reported the ability to appropriately expand capacity to adequately support their WFH workforce in under one week.
• 79% of organizations reported having adequate WFH security precautions (i.e. secure remote networks) 
• 69% stated concerns with security risks from employees working from home
• The main security concerns from WFH, reported by respondents, included:
  • User awareness and training (59%)
  • Home/public WiFi network security (56%)
  • Use of personal devices/BYOD (43%)
  • Sensitive data leaving perimeter (41%)
  • Lack of visibility (33%)
• Organizations reported being most concerned with the following security threats:
  • Malware (72%)
  • Phishing (67%)
  • Unauthorized user/privileged access (59%)
  • Unpatched systems/vulnerability exploits (44%)
• Companies reported top security concerns from the following applications:
  • File sharing (68%)
  • Web applications (47%)
  • Video conferencing (45%)
  • Messaging (35%)
• Companies employed the following security controls in response to WFH security risks: 
  • Anti-virus/malware (77%) 
  • Firewalls (77%)
  • Virtual private network (VPN) (66%)
  • Multi-factor authentications (MFA) (66%)

What does the future of WFH look like? 

It’s clear that the coronavirus pandemic has forever changed our working world as we knew it. Remote work is here, and it’s here to stay for many organizations. While security risks are present and prevalent, many organizations are preemptively implementing security measures as new information on threats presents itself. With 38% of organizations reporting higher productivity since the increase in remote work, it’s obvious why organizations are making the changes to keep WFH a part of their business for the long term. 

Curious how to stay on top of threats to WFH security for your employees and your organization? PK Tech is here to help. Contact us here.