A new report published by Duo Security at Cisco, a multi-factor authentication provider (MFA) and a secure access provider, reveals that unprecedented IT change organisations have undergone a massive shift to remote work this year, accelerating the adoption of digital solutions, including cloud technology
The security implications of this transition will reverberate for years to come, as the hybrid workplace requires the workforce to be secure, connected and productive from anywhere.
The 2020 Duo Trusted Access Report details how organisations, with a mandate to quickly shift their entire workforce to remote team collaboration technologies, turned to remote access technologies such as virtual private networks (VPNs) and remote desktop protocols (RDPs), among many other efforts.
As a result, the authentication activity for these technologies increased by 60%, helping to boost Duo’s monthly authentication from 600-900mn per month. A complementary Cisco survey recently found that 96% of organisations made changes to cybersecurity policy during the pandemic, with more than half implementing MFA.
As organisations were struggling to acquire the necessary equipment to support remote work, employees relied on personal or unmanaged equipment in the interim. As a result, blocked access attempts due to out-of-date devices increased by 90% in March. That figure fell sharply in April, indicating healthier devices and lowering the risk of malware infringement.
“As the pandemic began, the priority for many organisations was keeping the lights on and accepting risk in order to accomplish this end,” said Fady Younes, cybersecurity director, Middle East and Africa, Cisco. “Attention has now turned towards lessening risk by implementing a more mature and modern security strategy that accounts for a traditional corporate perimeter that has been completely upended.”
