The Latest Trends in IT Security, Uncovered
This article is published in partnership with LogMeIn, simplifying how people connect to their colleagues, employees, devices and the world around them.
Whenever you’re managing tens or even hundreds of computers, it’s a challenge to keep your eyes and ears on everything, but when it comes to security, you can’t let a single threat get by. Many factors contribute to the complex world of IT security for MSPs and their customers, and in our latest research study, we asked 500 IT professionals what about security keeps them up at night. From their current processes to daily challenges to the overwhelming task of protecting their computers and customers from rising number of threats, we identified four key trends:
The Modern Workplace
Work is no longer defined by the four walls of the office – not for you, or your customers. Over three-quarters of people have worked from home in the last 6 months, and that number is on the rise. But what we’ve found is that the modern IT team is not quite ready to meet these modern workplace behaviors, especially as it relates to cloud technology. Our new work habits mean we’re relying on the cloud to get our work done – anywhere, anytime. So whether you’re on the road, visiting a client, or simply working from home, you’re still connected through email, text, online chat, screen sharing, automation software, and more. That means you’re able to check on customer computers, fix an issue, even deploy updates and fill help desk tickets – no matter where you are.
Employees Are a Concern
A company is only as strong as its least-security minded employee, yet a single bad habit opens the door to problems. So when 30% of IT professionals say apathy is the biggest threat to employee security, we understand why. Especially knowing that many employees store their passwords to critical apps and tools in spreadsheets or even on paper, or that they use the same password, or a very similar one, for work and personal accounts. What’s most alarming is that over 60% of people do these things even with the knowledge and understanding that their habits are harmful to the company’s security.
Breaches Have Become More Common
One surprising find is just how common breaches are. One in five people have experienced an attack or breach in the last year, and that number went up to 60% as we backed out to in the past five years or more. Not surprisingly, the most common attacks are malware, followed by employee errors – which lines up with the second trend we found.
Perhaps more surprising than the commonality of breaches is the lack of concern that we saw. Overall, the more security-minded IT professionals are much more concerned about a potential breach and also more aware of the fact that despite their efforts, they might still be at risk. In fact, nearly 90% of people felt confident that their security measures are effective and 30% said there really was nothing else they could do to protect their company’s security.
Budget is a Blocker
Certainly no surprise to anyone, but it all comes down to budget. Half of the people we heard from said budget was the biggest threat to the company’s security, whether it was the budget to hire more IT staff, train employees, or pay for anti-virus software, which is actually the leading use of security budget among this group.
However, despite the increased risks and frequency of breaches, budgets aren’t going up in parallel. Three-quarters of people are investing the same amount of money, or less, in security than they were in 2015. And for the majority of IT teams, only a quarter of their budget goes to security.
While threats abound and are ever-changing, there are simple, effective steps that IT teams and MSPs can take to secure their company data, employees, and computers. One way is through IT automation software like LogMeIn Central, where you have the control you need to remotely monitor and manage all of your computers easily and securely. Now Central Premier includes Kaspersky Endpoint Security for all of your managed computers so you can protect your business and your customers from known and unknown threats. Not sure where to start? Try one of these four steps to improve your IT security for you and your organization.
LogMeIn has grown to become one of the world’s leading SaaS companies with over 800 employees in 8 offices around the world. Having connected over 300 MM devices to a LogMeIn cloud service since 2003, we have not only capitalized on but fueled the modern way of working – remote, efficient, mobile, productive.