The cybersecurity sector has experienced strong growth for several years, which has continued to grow with the emergence of telework. Remote work has many benefits, but has also increased cyber threats, especially due to the connection of work devices on home networks.
A study by KPMG reveals that 29% of executives now cite cybersecurity as the issue having the greatest impact on their business. And for good reason, the costs of data breaches reached a record high of $4.35 million for the companies surveyed, according to the latest annual report from IBM Security.
Today, companies are actively fighting against these cyber-attacks and ensuring the security of their devices and connections from employees’ homes on a daily basis. It has become essential to combat the risk of phishing and cyber-attacks at the source.
The emergence of telework, a risk factor in cybersecurity
The opening of the information system to the outside can generate serious risks that can jeopardize the security of the entire company. The characteristics of the vast majority of cyber-attacks are known and are based above all on negligence in human practices.
Among the main risks to which the company is exposed, phishing comes first. By usurping the identity of a trusted third party using messages addressed to employees, malicious people can succeed in stealing confidential data (passwords, personal or banking information) from companies. The objectives can be varied: to hack professional email accounts, to access information systems or to break into the company network.
Another risk, and not the least, is ransomware or ransomware, which consists of encrypting or preventing access to company data and demanding a ransom, after having successfully entered the company’s network. These attacks can be accompanied by data theft and prior destruction of backups. To do this, the hacker breaks into the network or the company’s hosted systems via its remote access or even via an employee’s workstation.
Managers, information systems security managers (RSSI) and directors of IT services (DSI), thus have an essential role to play in training employees and protecting them against these attacks.
Securing the end-to-end chain
Using a single platform for remote work greatly limits the risk of attack. Using fewer different tools and software decreases the likelihood of falling victim to vulnerabilities that can be exploited by cybercriminals.
However, it remains crucial for companies to carefully consider how their vendor handles security, data protection and compliance issues. A first essential axis is the protection of information, particularly at the level of the physical security of cloud servers, the policy on data processing and the processes for regular security assessment. Compliance certificates and certifications are a good way to verify your supplier’s commitment to these aspects.
Platforms should also offer meeting administration options such as mandatory authentication for attendees, password access control, and virtual waiting rooms, to protect your business from data loss and malicious people.
The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the increasingly high fines associated with it also highlight the essential nature of a careful examination of the processes and means implemented by the supplier in terms of data protection. data. Especially since 62% of companies are not “fully compliant” with the data protection rules imposed on them, in particular by the GDPR.
The range of threats extends beyond data privacy and GDPR. Its UCaaS provider’s security infrastructure is, in essence, a critical part of its security strategy. The provider must be transparent about the investments it has made to protect users and data day in and day out from security threats and data loss.
If the security offered by the UCaaS service provider is weak, the company will be more exposed to the risks of data breaches, which can harm the value of its brand and its business.