In the face of the COVID-19 pandemic, more businesses have leveraged the cloud to shift their operations online.
Use of cloud-based, collaboration-focused business apps has increased by almost 500% since January 2020;1 Microsoft Teams reported millions of new users as the pandemic hit, with 75 million added in April.2 Overall expenditures for cloud computing are seen to rise by 19% for 2020 despite IT spending falling by 8%.3
These new ways of working also bring new threats.
A doubling of technology-based crimes in Hong Kong over the first half of 2020 have led to HK$1.52 billion (US$196 million) in losses.4 A majority of employees feel compelled to use insecure home devices and networks for work purposes anyway, despite admitting that their “devices were not fully secure against advanced cyber risks”.5
Worker safety and data security need not be mutually exclusive. On one hand, the “new normal” calls for employees to be trained in essential security habits.6
On the other, companies must also invest in mobile solutions offering high security standards: multifunction printers that meet strict ISO 15408 Common Criteria for Information Technology; EDMS solutions that encrypt documents with up to 256-bit password security; and cloud-based document capture platforms with multi-layered security controls and active threat intelligence.7
Even as circumstances call for moving more of your operations online, there’s no need to compromise your company’s security in the process.
1. Rana, Akanksha et al. "Teleconference apps and new tech surge in demand amid coronavirus outbreak." Reuters. Reuters, March 14, 2020. https://uk.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-teleconference/teleconference-apps-and-new-tech-surge-in-demand-amid-coronavirus-outbreak-idUSKBN21033K.
2. Zaveri, Paayal. "Microsoft Teams now has 75 million daily active users, adding 31 million in just over a month." Business Insider. Insider Inc., April 30, 2020. https://www.businessinsider.com/microsoft-teams-hits-75-million-daily-active-users-2020-4.
3. "Gartner Says Global IT Spending to Decline 8% in 2020 Due to Impact of COVID-19." Gartner. Gartner Inc., May 13, 2020. https://www.gartner.com/en/newsroom/press-releases/2020-05-13-gartner-says-global-it-spending-to-decline-8-percent-in-2020-due-to-impact-of-covid19.
4. Lo, Clifford. "Cybercrime surges in Hong Kong as Covid-19 work-from-home arrangements leave people ‘vulnerable’ to fraudsters." South China Morning Post. South China Morning Post Publishers Ltd., September 8, 2020.https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3100531/cybercrime-surges-hong-kong-covid-19-work-home.
5. Yu, Eileen. "APAC employees not fully secure to work from home." ZDNet. CBS Interactive, June 8, 2020. https://www.zdnet.com/article/apac-employees-not-fully-secure-to-work-from-home/.
6. Lepassaar, Juhan. "Top Tips for Cybersecurity when Working Remotely." ENISA. European Union Agency for Cybersecurity, March 15, 2020. https://www.enisa.europa.eu/news/executive-news/top-tips-for-cybersecurity-when-working-remotely
7. "FUJIFILM Business Innovation Hong Kong Announces a Breakthrough in Cloud Based AI Platform with Microsoft Hong Kong - Capture and Flow Service." FUJIFILM Business Innovation Hong Kong. FUJIFILM Business Innovation Co. Ltd, June 18, 2020.