Research: Organizations With Highly Mobile Workforces More Susceptible To IT Security Issues

  • Feb 11, 2011

Organizations spend an average of 127 hours per month managing on-site security solutions and related problems, according to new research from Webroot, the first Internet security service company. The top time thieves are updating software and hardware, reimaging infected machines, and enforcing end user Internet and e-mail policies.

Webroot surveyed 820 IT decision-makers in organizations with 100 to 5,000 employees in the United States, the United Kingdom and Australia. The company found organizations with more remote or mobile employees face more problems when using on-premise security. Specifically, these companies are 43 percent more likely to experience phishing attacks and 33 percent more likely to experience viruses or worms than organizations using cloud security. Time spent repairing damage and addressing other repercussions is also more significant.

“The burden of managing on-premise security solutions is clearly taking a toll on IT departments," said Gerhard Eschelbeck, chief technology officer of Webroot. “On-premise solutions, whether they’re appliances or software, simply cannot keep up with today’s threat landscape, which is complicated by the need to protect a highly mobile workforce. Two-thirds of the companies we surveyed have at least a quarter of their employees remotely accessing corporate servers.  Those using on-premise solutions have suffered higher rates of malware attacks than companies using cloud security solutions, which are more effective and easier to manage.”

According to the study, the time and cost associated with managing on-site security solutions is substantial:

  • Managing software and hardware updates alone plunders more than two full workdays (18.6 hours) per month.
  • Only seven percent of respondents said that managing software and hardware updates has no impact on their IT resources.
  • The second highest resource consumption is re-imaging infected machines, which takes more than 17 hours per month.
  • Enforcing end user policies and managing patches rank third and fourth respectively, each consuming more than 16 hours per month.
  • Two in 10 respondents describe the impact of these activities as major or severe.

Companies with one-fourth or more of their employees accessing the server remotely face the greatest repercussions:

  • Help desk time to repair damage increases 10 percentage points (from 19 percent to 29 percent).
  • Compromised customer data triples (19 percent versus six percent).
  • Web site compromises and hacking attacks each increase by 10 percentage points.
  • Those using cloud security are 30 percent less likely to experience phishing attacks than those using on-premise security solutions, 25 percent less likely to experience viruses or worms, and 20 percent less likely to experience spyware.
     

Securing mobile users is the top security challenge in 2011.

  • 33 percent of respondents rank securing mobile/laptop users as their number one challenge in the year ahead.
  • Mobile user protection ranked in the top five reasons that companies are considering cloud-based Web security, with 12 percent citing it as a primary reason they have adopted or will adopt it.
  • The next highest ranked security challenges in 2011 are preventing data breaches (26 percent) and protecting against Web-based malware (25 percent).
     

The burden of managing on-premise security is not going unnoticed by companies:

  • Only 18 percent of companies with on-premise security strongly agree that their IT security vendors act as if they work for them, whereas that number nearly doubles amongst those that have implemented cloud-based Web security solutions.
  • The hours spent dealing with on-premise security issues translate into lost hours in other areas: Only 26 percent of companies using on-premise solutions strongly agree that their solutions enable them to spend more time on strategic IT initiatives, compared with 42 percent that have implemented cloud-based Web security.
  • Four in 10 respondents plan to implement cloud-based Web security in 2011 or 2012. The top cited reasons are to simplify management of Web security (21 percent), reduce burden on IT staff (16.2 percent) and improve effectiveness against malware (15 percent).
     

Featured

  • From Surveillance to Intelligence

    Years ago, it would have been significantly more expensive to run an analytic like that — requiring a custom-built solution with burdensome infrastructure demands — but modern edge devices have made it accessible to everyone. It also saves time, which is a critical factor if a missing child is involved. Video compression technology has played a critical role as well. Over the years, significant advancements have been made in video coding standards — including H.263, MPEG formats, and H.264—alongside compression optimization technologies developed by IP video manufacturers to improve efficiency without sacrificing quality. The open-source AV1 codec developed by the Alliance for Open Media—a consortium including Google, Netflix, Microsoft, Amazon and others — is already the preferred decoder for cloud-based applications, and is quickly becoming the standard for video compression of all types. Read Now

  • Cost: Reactive vs. Proactive Security

    Security breaches often happen despite the availability of tools to prevent them. To combat this problem, the industry is shifting from reactive correction to proactive protection. This article will examine why so many security leaders have realized they must “lead before the breach” – not after. Read Now

  • Achieving Clear Audio

    In today’s ever-changing world of security and risk management, effective communication via an intercom and door entry communication system is a critical communication tool to keep a facility’s staff, visitors and vendors safe. Read Now

  • Beyond Apps: Access Control for Today’s Residents

    The modern resident lives in an app-saturated world. From banking to grocery delivery, fitness tracking to ridesharing, nearly every service demands another download. But when it comes to accessing the place you live, most people do not want to clutter their phone with yet another app, especially if its only purpose is to open a door. Read Now

  • Survey: 48 Percent of Worshippers Feel Less Safe Attending In-Person Services

    Almost half (48%) of those who attend religious services say they feel less safe attending in-person due to rising acts of violence at places of worship. In fact, 39% report these safety concerns have led them to change how often they attend in-person services, according to new research from Verkada conducted online by The Harris Poll among 1,123 U.S. adults who attend a religious service or event at least once a month. Read Now

Most   Popular

New Products

  • A8V MIND

    A8V MIND

    Hexagon’s Geosystems presents a portable version of its Accur8vision detection system. A rugged all-in-one solution, the A8V MIND (Mobile Intrusion Detection) is designed to provide flexible protection of critical outdoor infrastructure and objects. Hexagon’s Accur8vision is a volumetric detection system that employs LiDAR technology to safeguard entire areas. Whenever it detects movement in a specified zone, it automatically differentiates a threat from a nonthreat, and immediately notifies security staff if necessary. Person detection is carried out within a radius of 80 meters from this device. Connected remotely via a portable computer device, it enables remote surveillance and does not depend on security staff patrolling the area.

  • ResponderLink

    ResponderLink

    Shooter Detection Systems (SDS), an Alarm.com company and a global leader in gunshot detection solutions, has introduced ResponderLink, a groundbreaking new 911 notification service for gunshot events. ResponderLink completes the circle from detection to 911 notification to first responder awareness, giving law enforcement enhanced situational intelligence they urgently need to save lives. Integrating SDS’s proven gunshot detection system with Noonlight’s SendPolice platform, ResponderLink is the first solution to automatically deliver real-time gunshot detection data to 911 call centers and first responders. When shots are detected, the 911 dispatching center, also known as the Public Safety Answering Point or PSAP, is contacted based on the gunfire location, enabling faster initiation of life-saving emergency protocols.

  • AC Nio

    AC Nio

    Aiphone, a leading international manufacturer of intercom, access control, and emergency communication products, has introduced the AC Nio, its access control management software, an important addition to its new line of access control solutions.