Survey finds hybrid working model causing new cyber security concerns

The vast majority of businesses say cyber resilience is a priority at senior leadership level within their organisation

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Jason Ward, Dell

In association with Dell Technologies

A new survey by Dell Technologies has found that 69% of businesses in Ireland believe hybrid working arrangements will increase the chances of a cyberattack or incident. Amid the evolving world of work, a vast majority of businesses surveyed (9%) took steps to enhance data protection in the past 12 months.

The latest Cyber Resilience Survey from Dell, in partnership with the Executive Institute, seeks to understand business leaders’ changing attitudes towards cybersecurity and the steps taken by Irish businesses to enhance their cyber resilience in a data-driven era.

The survey of 113 business leaders in Ireland shows cyber resilience is now a priority, with 91% of organisations recognising its importance at the senior leadership level. Yet, a majority (57%) don’t know how to react in the event of a ransomware attack.

Despite the growing attention placed on cybersecurity by leaders, the Cyber Resilience Survey reveals a knowledge gap in the data protection options open to Irish businesses. Sixty-four per cent of business leaders say they are not sure their organisations have the capability to isolate or ‘air gap’ critical data in the event of ransomware attack.

Moreover, only 28% say they have a well-defined incident response strategy in response to an attack, with less than a third (29%) saying they would restore the data lost from a standard back-up solution.

Looking to the future, a vast majority of respondents (92%) agree that enhancing their organisation’s cyber resilience is important to ensuring the success of their digital transformation plans.

Fifty-five per cent of those surveyed identified the ever-growing number of cyberattacks as the main barrier to enhancing their cyber resilience followed by outdated technology (20%), insufficient in-house cyber skills (16%) and upfront investment (12%).

Commenting on the results of the survey, Jason Ward, vice president and managing director, Dell Technologies Ireland, (pictured) said: “Our team of cyber experts at Dell Technologies help organisations across Ireland build a resilient infrastructure where business critical data can be placed in a cyber vault that’s inaccessible to cyber criminals.

“As we look towards a data-driven future, prioritising cybersecurity is critical to ensuring that businesses and organisations are better prepared, not just to survive a cyberattack, but to thrive. Their business resilience is now directly tied to their cyber resilience.”

Conor Morris, managing director of the Executive Institute, said: “The results of the survey highlight the increasing importance of cybersecurity for our members. As we enter a hybrid world of work, having a cyber resilience plan is vital in dealing with the challenges and opportunities of this post-pandemic environment.”

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