Many companies are struggling to repel network attacks

Many companies are struggling to repel network attacks, falling victim to dangerous ransomware assaults and having to deal with deadly consequences, a new report from Barracuda Networks has found.

Polling 100 IT decision-makers from the UK for its “State of network security in 2021” report, Barracuda found that almost two-thirds (70%) had fallen victim to a network attack in the last 12 months, while two-thirds (65%) suffered a ransomware attack.

The report noted there are many reasons why businesses struggle to repel network attacks, remote working being one of the biggest. Four in five employees with company-issued devices share their home internet connection with other members of the household, which is a “significant” security risk, Barracuda says.

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What’s more, a third (34%) of businesses don’t even issue company devices, leaving employees using their own gear. An additional 43% do issue devices but still allow employees to use their own, thus beating the (security) purpose of a company-issued device. 

SASE to the rescue

Businesses will have to adapt, though, as remote working is here to stay. Almost all (94%) of the decision-makers polled for the report said the majority of their workforce is likely to continue working this way, at least one or two days a week. For a third, employees will remain full-time remote.

There is a way forward, though. Barracuda says there is an uptick in the use of Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) technologies. Basically all of the respondents (97%) have either already deployed, or plan to deploy SD-WAN, Zero Trust, or Extended Detection and Response.

When the pandemic first struck, businesses were more interested in continuity than security. Cybercriminals were taking advantage of the fact, attacking small and medium-sized businesses with phishing, social engineering, and telephone fraud. They were preying on employee fear and the fact that many remote workers were in uncharted waters. 

Now, the choices businesses made early in the pandemic are coming back to bite them, and they’re turning towards new SASE technologies to provide the solution. 

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