Ian Barker

Three-quarters of IT departments face critical skills shortages

Vacant chair

A new report from digital learning company Skillsoft finds that 76 percent of IT decision makers worldwide are facing critical skills gaps in their departments -- a 145 percent increase since 2016.

The report looks at the reasons for this and reveals that 38 percent cite the rate of technology change outpacing their existing skills development programs as the primary driver, followed by difficulty in attracting qualified candidates (35 percent) and lack of investment in training resources (32 percent).

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Healthcare organizations face increased risk

Healthcare data

Healthcare organizations and patients are facing greater risk as an increase in connected devices creates an expanded attack surface according to a new report.

The study from asset management and security platform Armis surveyed 2,000 patients and 400 healthcare IT professionals across the US and shows a disconnect between the concerns of the two groups.

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85 percent of businesses adopted new security protocols due to COVID-19

home working security

New research from SecureAge Technology finds that 85 percent of US and UK employers have been forced to adopt new cybersecurity measures as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and the shift to remote work.

Of those that adopted new cybersecurity defenses, both US (41 percent) and UK (38 percent) businesses note that 'technical implementation challenges' are the primary hurdle in getting their new COVID-driven cybersecurity protocols and strategies in place.

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Divide between IT and OT teams stops businesses having a unified security strategy

A cultural divide between IT and operational technology (OT) teams is preventing organizations from having a unified strategy to protect both environments.

A report from Dragos and the Ponemon Institute shows only 43 percent of organizations have cybersecurity policies and procedures that are aligned with their ICS and OT security objectives.

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New platform aims to blend in-person and remote work

Collaboration

Since the COVID pandemic hit we've become used to working using remote collaboration platforms. But the problem is there are lots of options to choose from and they don't work together.

A new platform launched today by Klaxoon enables organizations to seamlessly blend in-person and remote work with tools including a virtual whiteboard, surveys and memos, along with video and audio.

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How to measure the value of cybersecurity [Q&A]

Lock and money

With high profile cyber attacks and data breaches continuing to make the news, security is at the top of the priority list for businesses.

But how do you know that the resources you put into cybersecurity are providing a good return on the investment? We spoke with Oliver Rochford, security evangelist at Securonix to find out.

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Business transformation drives demand for PKI and digital certificates

Laptop security

Thanks to organizational changes brought about by digital transformation, enterprise use of Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) and digital certificates has never been higher, but the related skills to manage PKI are in historically short supply.

A new report from trusted identity company Entrust, based on research from the Ponemon Institute, finds cloud-based services remain the highest driver of PKI use at 51 percent, the Internet of Things (IoT) remains the second highest growing trend cited by 46 percent of respondents, and consumer mobile comes in third at 39 percent.

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New tool helps enterprises find and fix API vulnerabilities

Intelligent APIs

As digital transformation projects roll out, APIs are more critical than ever to build modern applications. But as we reported last week they also create security headaches.

Security testing specialist Veracode is addressing this with the launch of a new scanning tool that enables organizations to find and fix vulnerabilities in APIs.

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Phishing grows as attackers target social media

Phishing

Phishing remains the dominant attack vector for bad actors, growing 31.5 percent over 2020 level, according to the latest quarterly trends report by PhishLabs.

Social media is now the attack target of choice, with attacks per target climbing steadily, up 82 percent year-to-date. The payment services industry continues to be the most targeted, but staffing and recruiting experienced the steepest increase in attacks compared to Q2.

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Ransomware groups grow in sophistication and volume

ransomware key

New research from security automation specialist Ivanti shows that ransomware groups are continuing to grow in sophistication, boldness, and volume, with numbers up across the board since the beginning of 2021.

The report, produced with Cyber Security Works and Cyware, reveals that the last quarter has seen a 4.5 percent increase in CVEs associated with ransomware.

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UK consumers skeptical about 'common digital identity'

The idea of a 'common digital identity' (CDI), that would allow access to a range of services, offers huge benefits to financial institutions in delivering better, faster, and more reliable checks for consumers.

Consumers themselves, however, are less convinced. A survey conducted by RegTech Associates on behalf of PassFort finds only 17 percent of UK respondents say they are very much in favour of CDI.

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Cloud adoption continues to rise but costs still a concern

Cloud growth arrow

Cloud adoption is still rising across all industries but managing costs and regulatory requirements remain top concerns for organizations worldwide.

A new report from O'Reilly finds that 30 percent of all respondents in almost every industry cite managing cost as the most important initiative their company is undertaking related to public cloud adoption.

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How enterprises can ensure sustainability in their IT supply chains [Q&A]

Scrap computers bin

We recently reported on a study showing that IT leaders are willing to pay more for systems and providers that have a commitment to sustainability. And with the COP26 climate conference in full swing there's increased focus on reducing our impact on the planet.

But how can enterprises properly vet their supply chain to ensure the businesses they’re dealing with are adhering to the appropriate standards? We spoke with Martin Thompson, founder of the ITAM Forum -- a body that promotes the IT asset management industry -- to find out.

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Most businesses feel they can't fully prevent ransomware attacks

ransomware key

Only 45 percent of respondents to a recent survey believe it is currently possible to prevent all malware threats from infiltrating their organization's network.

The survey from Deep Instinct does show some longer term optimism though. 66 percent of respondents believe it may be possible to prevent all malware threats from infiltrating their organization's network in the next two to five years.

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The importance of a modern approach to information management [Q&A]

folder stack

Information is now a critical asset for businesses, but it's only of real value if you can manage and access it efficiently.

More and more data now is in an unstructured form too, so has the way we manage information changed, and what do businesses need to do to make the most of it to inform their day-to-day decisions? We spoke to Antti Nivala, founder and CEO of M-Files to find out.

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