Coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) has made it more difficult for organizations to fulfill their chief digital security functions. In a recent study from (ISC)2, nearly half (47%) of security personnel revealed that their organizations had reassigned them to perform standard IT tasks amidst the pandemic. This decision limited organizations’ ability to defend themselves against security incidents despite the reports from nearly a quarter (23%) of survey participants that security incidents confronting their organization had increased, as reported by Channel Partners. Additionally, the move arrived at a moment when 81% of professionals revealed that their organizations had categorized security as an essential function during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The findings presented above highlight the need for organizations to direct special attention to their digital security posture for the rest of the year. Many organizations are already working with reduced security teams, so they need to be prepared. I recommend organizations focus their security efforts on three specific trends for the remainder of 2020: Cloud Security, Data Privacy and New Tools/Ways of Working.