One year on, it's clear that the pandemic changed the way many organisations operate, due to huge numbers of staff being forced to work from home. That reality is something that resonates deeply with Oliver Cronk, chief IT architect, EMEA at Tanium. "This has caused digital transformation to accelerate rapidly and many organisations have put stop-gap IT solutions in place to keep up," he states. "This approach, which we believe is especially prevalent in sectors hit hardest by the pandemic, often creates cybersecurity weaknesses."

Another key issue he highlights is that many organisations are struggling with reduced revenue or funding right now and having to make cutbacks, yet cybersecurity is not an area they can afford to neglect, he warns. "As lockdown continues and some teams are being asked to do more with less resources, they remain increasingly vulnerable to cyber threats, due to distraction or fatigue, which can cause employees to drop their guard when it comes to clicking on malicious links in emails."

OUT OF TOUCH
In addition, states Cronk, "IT audit continues to fail many organisations, with some of the recent security issues we've seen being a direct result of IT audit and governance processes being used, which are out of touch with what is really going on in modern organisations".

Businesses need to ensure they are planning for the long-term by setting up a security foundation which is flexible, data-driven and efficient, he advises, while equipping IT teams to respond to threats immediately from wherever they are based. "Whilst the pandemic has created challenges for IT teams, this period should also be seen as an opportunity to optimise IT security and operations.

"Teams should consider embracing technologies such as distributed cloud architecture and endpoint management, which will give businesses the visibility and control they need to minimise the likelihood of a damaging cyber-attack in the age of lockdowns and mass remote working."