PREDICTIVE INTELLIGENCE

Fortinet ’ s report has revealed the ‘ Branch-Office-of-One ’ challenge for network security in the hybrid work era . We take a look at the findings to understand why organisations should be investing in security solutions that support their hybrid workforce . ortinet , the global

The report is based on a recent survey conducted by IDC across nine countries in Asia-Pacific and explores cybersecurity leaders ’ perspectives on hybrid work , particularly how it impacted their organisations in the last year and their strategies to mitigate the security challenges arising from its adoption of hybrid work .

The survey was conducted among 450 cybersecurity leaders from nine different locations across Asia ( Hong Kong , India , Indonesia , Malaysia , The Philippines , Singapore , South Korea , Thailand and Vietnam ).

Survey respondents came from nine industries , including manufacturing ( 14 %), Retail ( 13 %), Logistics ( 14 %), Healthcare ( 13 %), FSI ( 10 %) and Public Sector ( 11 %).

Jess Ng , Country Manager , Fortinet Singapore , said : “ As Singapore continues to embrace the digital future and become a leader in the digital economy , it is essential that we acknowledge the increasing frequency and sophistication of cyberattacks and data breaches .

“ The shortage of skilled talent in the cybersecurity industry only makes this issue more challenging .”

Key findings from the survey include :

• The rise of the ‘ Branch-Office-of- One ’: According to the survey , 92 % of respondents in Singapore have a hybrid or fully remote working model , with more than two-thirds ( 68 %) having at least 50 % of their employees working in hybrid mode . This shift to remote work has resulted in employees becoming ‘ branch offices of one ’, working from their homes or other locations outside the traditional office . Consequently , 64 % of respondents in Singapore anticipate managed devices to surge by more than 100 % over the next two years – with some expecting growth of 400 %.

Jess Ng , Country Manager , Fortinet Singapore

Additionally , 76 % in Singapore expect unmanaged devices to grow by over 50 %. This is expected to compound the complexity and risk of security breaches , placing additional strain on already overburdened IT security teams .

• Unmanaged devices pose a risk : With cloud computing and remote work becoming more prevalent , an increasing number of users , devices and data are located outside of enterprise networks . Currently , over 30 % of devices connecting to networks in Singapore are unmanaged , raising the possibility of security breaches . Survey respondents in Singapore expect this figure to rise , with 76 % predicting a 50 % increase by 2025 .

• The need to secure cloud : With hybrid work increasing , employees require multiple connections to external systems and cloud applications to remain productive . Survey respondents indicated that their employees in Singapore need more than 25 connections to thirdparty cloud applications , increasing the risk of security breaches . Over the next two years , 100 % of respondents in Singapore expect this number to double , while more than 70 % feel that this number will triple , exacerbating the risk . Maintaining network security while ensuring employee connectivity to thirdparty and cloud-based services is a significant challenge , as traditional security measures are inadequate . www . intelligentciso . com

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