New Era of Remote Working Calls for Modern Security Mindset, Finds Thales Global Survey of IT Leaders
September 14 2021 - 3:00AM
Business Wire
- Zero Trust strategy identified as the leading tool to address
the challenges created by the pandemic and remote-work future
- Nearly half of surveyed IT professionals say they are not
confident in their current access security systems to support
today’s hybrid work environment
- Traditional security tools such as Virtual Private Network
(VPN) continue to reign, despite scalability issues and security
risks
COVID-19 quickly ushered in the era of remote work,
introducing new risks that IT professionals are struggling to
manage with existing security tools, according to a new Thales
study. Six in 10 respondents said traditional security tools such
as VPNs are still the primary vehicle for employees accessing
applications remotely -- likely the reason why almost half (44%)
were not confident that their access security systems could scale
effectively to secure remote work.
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These are among the key insights from the 2021 Thales Access
Management Index, a global survey of 2,600 IT decision makers,
commissioned by Thales and conducted by 451 Research, part of
S&P Global Market Intelligence, to better understand the new
security risks and challenges caused by the rise of remote working
and cloud transformation caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Last year saw a surge in cybercrime exploiting the various
aspects of the COVID-19 pandemic and the shift to remote work, with
ransomware attacks soaring by 150%.1 The Thales survey found the
pandemic’s effects have had a significant impact on security
infrastructure, particularly on access management and
authentication frameworks, pushing organisations to adopt modern
security strategies like Zero Trust to support the demands of a
more mobile and remote workforce.
Era of Remote Working – Concerns Catalyse Change
According to the index, respondents have many different systems
deployed for remote access. When asked about the technologies that
were in place, VPN was the most common, with 60% of IT
professionals identifying the capability. Virtual Desktop
Infrastructure, cloud-based access and Zero Trust network
access/software defined perimeter (ZTNA/SDP) closely followed.
However, when asked what new access technologies respondents were
planning to deploy due to the pandemic, nearly half (44%) indicated
ZTNA/SDP was the top technology choice.
Thales also explored respondents’ plans to move beyond
traditional VPN environments, and found that nearly 40% expect to
replace their VPN with ZTNA/SDP, while 38% expect to move to a
Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) solution. This confirms the need
for more modern, sophisticated authentication capabilities is
driving change in many organisations and is perceived as a key
enabler of Zero Trust security.
“Seemingly overnight, remote access went from being an exception
to the default working model for a large swath of employees. As a
result, businesses are navigating a volatile and complex world, and
adopting a Zero Trust model of cybersecurity will enable them to
continue to conduct operations safely amidst the uncertainty,” said
Francois Lasnier, vice president of Access Management solutions
at Thales. “One of the core barrier businesses face when
starting their Zero Trust journey is the balance between locking
down access without interrupting workflow. People require access to
sensitive data in order to work and collaborate and businesses
leaders will need to ensure that a drop in productivity doesn’t
become an unwanted side effect. The research shows that IT
professionals increasingly see access management and modern
authentication capabilities as key component in achieving a Zero
Trust model.”
Room to Grow with Zero Trust
The Thales report found that Zero Trust models are the solution
of choice for respondents seeking to improve access environments,
yet many are still in the early stage of adoption.
According to the research, less than a third (30%) of the
respondents claim to have a formal strategy and have actively
embraced a Zero Trust policy. Additionally, almost half (45%) are
either planning, researching or considering a Zero Trust strategy.
Surprisingly, less than a third (32%) of the respondents indicated
that Zero Trust shapes their cloud security strategy to a great
extent.
Access Security Needs to Adapt to Deal with Dynamic
Workplaces
A silver lining of the pandemic-driven rush to remote working is
the acceleration of improved approaches to access security. Thales
found that 55% of respondents currently have adopted two-factor
authentication within their organisations. Regionally, there was
notable variation, with the UK leading (64%), followed by the U.S.
(62%), APAC (52%) and LATAM (40%). These varying degrees of
adoption may be due to the level at which better access management
is prioritised in security investments.
Yet, despite the well-known limitations of passwords, investment
in MFA still trails other security tools like firewalls, endpoint
security, SIEM and email security. Remote access users are still
the main use case for MFA adoption (71%). One-third of respondents
that have adopted MFA use more than three different authentication
tools, signaling the need for a more unified approach to access
management in the future.
“Security tools and approaches need to adapt to better support
the era of remote working,” said Eric Hanselman, chief analyst
at 451 Research, part of S&P Global Market Intelligence.
“The shift towards a Zero Trust model, along with increasing use of
modern authentication technologies, like adaptive and multifactor
authentication (MFA), will improve organisations’ security posture.
This will be an exciting space to watch as businesses continue to
deal with dynamic workplace environments.” 2
Thales and 451 Research will discuss the global findings in more
detail during its upcoming Trusted Access Summit on 5 October 2021.
To join, please visit the registration page.
About Thales
Thales (Euronext Paris: HO) is a global leader in advanced
technologies, investing in digital and “deep tech” innovations –
connectivity, big data, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity and
quantum computing – to build a confident future crucial for the
development of our societies. The Group provides its customers –
businesses, organisations and governments – in the defense,
aeronautics, space, transport, and digital identity and security
domains with solutions, services and products that help them fulfil
their critical role, consideration for the individual being the
driving force behind all decisions.
Thales has 81,000 employees in 68 countries. In 2020 the Group
generated sales of €17 billion.
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1 Group-IB Ransomware Uncovered 2020-2021 2 Quote from Thales
2021 Global Access Management Index
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Thales, Media Relations Security
Constance Arnoux +33 (0)6 44 12 16 35
Constance.arnoux@thalesgroup.com
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