Intelligent CIO APAC Issue 03 | Page 44

THE SCRAMBLE TO ADAPT HAS LEFT SENSITIVE BUSINESS DATA DANGEROUSLY EXPOSED TO CYBERTHREATS .

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THE SCRAMBLE TO ADAPT HAS LEFT SENSITIVE BUSINESS DATA DANGEROUSLY EXPOSED TO CYBERTHREATS .

Anurag Kahol , CTO at Bitglass

Mind the gap : Why securing the remote workforce is a peak priority

The response of many businesses to the pandemic has resulted in major gaps being left in their data protection efforts . Anurag Kahol , CTO at Bitglass , tells us that organizations must equip themselves with proper tools to avoid data leakage as well as other security risks .

Businesses are struggling to shift gears when it comes to secure remote access across their systems , leaving major gaps in their data protection efforts that need to be addressed urgently .

For most Asia Pacific businesses , securing the remote workforce has been a growing priority for some time , but the emergence of COVID-19 has propelled it up the corporate agenda in a way that few could ever have imagined .
The rapid shift from office-based work to home-based work , combined with a lack of adequate forward planning , has made the transition a painful one for many . Simply finding a workable remote solution has been challenging enough , let alone one that meets all the same stringent data protection measures typically found in an on-premises setup . In fact , according to new research , 41 % of businesses are yet to implement any steps to expand secure access of their remote workforces despite over 75 % of employees now working from home .
The research study conducted during the height of the pandemic , gives a fascinating insight into the challenges faced and how the scramble to adapt has left sensitive business data dangerously exposed to cyberthreats .
Let ’ s look at the key research findings in more detail and assess what businesses can do to help them adapt to the ‘ new normal ’ in a safer , more secure manner .
Few businesses were prepared for large scale remote working . Before the start of the year , the prospect of a fully remote
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