Palo Alto Networks announced on Wednesday that the company had released its latest IoT Security Report detailing the responses and results from 1,900 IT leaders across a wide range of organizations across 18 countries in the U.S., Canada, Europe, Asia and the Middle East on the latest internet of things (IoT) trends and major security issues as a result of the recent pandemic.
“As government agencies prepare remote and hybrid work plans for 2022, the line is fading between home and agency network environments, said Dana Barnes, senior vice president of Public Sector Sales for Palo Alto Networks and a 2021 Wash100 Award recipient. “The Palo Alto Networks IoT Security report is a stark warning that agency cybersecurity postures must extend to the home office and personal devices of all kinds.”
One of the key insights from the report showed that 78 percent of information technology decision-makers saw an increase in the number of IoT security incidents driven by the transition to remote work during the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition, 96 percent of respondents said they believe their organization’s IoT security approach needs improvement.
“IoT adoption is growing rapidly with 78% of IT decision-makers reporting an increase of personal devices connecting to their enterprise networks,” Barnes added. “Under the Biden administration’s recent executive order, federal agencies need a proactive approach, moving to a Zero Trust architecture that verifies approved devices and only allows users to access what is necessary.”
With telework capabilities and hybrid workforces becoming a mainstay following the influence of the COVID-19 pandemic, Barnes argued that the report also demonstrated that federal agencies need to be prepared with the best practices and tools for cybersecurity and other security measures to ensure home protection for federal employees the same way they’ve been protected at the office.
Visit PaloAltoNetworks.com to read the full Connected Enterprise: IoT Security Report 2021 for yourself to learn from the invaluable insights the report provides and gain a deeper understanding of the impact the pandemic has had and the crucial steps to take to protect your information.
