The COVID-19 pandemic forced governments around the world to impose strict travel restrictions and encourage employees to work from home. Technology and connectivity suddenly became more important as companies worldwide scrambled to keep functioning under difficult working conditions.
But the IT infrastructure of many companies wasn’t prepared for the rise in cyberattacks. While businesses were grappling with keeping their doors open, studies found that only 38% of companies had a cybersecurity policy in place.
Before the pandemic, 20% of cyber-attacks used previously unseen malware or methods. After the pandemic, that number rose to 35%, with large companies such as Honda and Canon succumbing to malicious attacks.
Why Cyberthreats Increased During the Pandemic
With nearly half the U.S. labor force is working from home, employees are sharing more data remotely through apps, increasing the risks for their employers. Last year the FBI reported that the cyberattack complaints to their Cyber Division rose by 400%, reaching as many as 4000 complaints every day.
Let’s look at some of the key causes:
- Employees work from home in environments with limited or absent security
- IT infrastructure of businesses are not technologically prepared
- IT security teams is dispersed, and learning how to minimize threats remotely
Hybrid Workforces and the Future of Security
One of the critical questions raised is whether businesses will go back to centralized offices or continue to leverage remote workers. The answer appears to be both, as CIOs globally gear up to manage a hybrid workforce.
A Gartner survey found that 80% plan to allow employees to work at least part of the time remotely after the pandemic. 47% will allow employees to work from home full-time.
As a result, many CIOs and IT leaders seek ways to manage their remote workforce’s security to be better prepared against future attacks.
The Importance of Security Testing
Today’s new work scenario has raised the importance of improved security and a planned approach to managing security. Breaches can impact brands, customers and even bring in legal repercussions.
Companies, therefore, need to focus greater attention and resources on cybersecurity awareness training. Security teams need to be involved during software development to safeguard applications. Security testing can help manage issues related to confidentiality, authorization, authentication, availability, and integrity at every stage of the development process.
The New Normal of Cybersecurity
To keep themselves and their products secure, enterprises have begun working with security testing services and ethical hackers.
Both internal programs and software development can be positively impacted by applying advanced security testing services, including test automation, performance, quality engineering, and digital assurance testing.
Cloud Security Testing
Cloud-based security testing involves testing newly developed applications for performance, assessing the security of current operating systems and applications on the cloud, vulnerability testing and security assessments via the cloud.
Application Security Testing
By using a combination of testing tools and techniques, businesses can avail application security testing to ensure their software products are resistant to threats. Application security testing also helps software developers by identifying the applications’ security weaknesses and exposing vulnerabilities in the source code. These can then be rectified before they become a bigger problem.
Web Security Testing
Security testing for web applications looks for holes and vulnerabilities which hackers could exploit. The web security testing method uses advanced tools and techniques to explore weaknesses, technical flaws and ensure data protection.
Mobile Security Testing
Mobile phone usage has resulted in increasing attacks through mobile applications. Mobile Security testing exposes vulnerabilities in mobile applications by testing for activities such as data flow and leakage, storage capabilities, authentications, encryption, and regulatory compliance.
Security Compliance Testing
Compliance is essential to protect against threats to your products and protect your company against legal issues related to attacks on your software. Security compliance testing will focus on ensuring specific industry-based legal compliance are maintained.
Network Security Testing
In a hybrid work environment, network security testing is critical. Network security testing identifies and vulnerabilities across any type of electronic data network. It also helps businesses shore their defenses and eliminate any security weaknesses within the company network.
Penetration Testing
By simulating a threatening attack, security testing experts can help identify vulnerabilities in your applications and products over networks, cloud, and web. Penetration testing helps measure and identify system health and any compromises being made both internally and externally.
According to Cybercrime Magazine, digital attacks are predicted to inflict damages totaling $6 trillion USD globally in 2021.
By seeking improved security testing services, businesses can manage their cybersecurity with greater effectiveness. Companies that wish to protect their business while ensuring employee productivity will find the time to implement security testing and prevent losses due to cyber-attacks.
