Study: Security for Remote Workforce, A Key Priority for 2021

Cato Networks, an Israeli security company, points to remote workforce security as a major priority for companies in 2021. That’s according to Cato’s recently released study entitled, “The Future of Enterprise Networking and Security,” which draws from a survey of more than 2,000 IT leaders.

The report indicates that IT teams struggled in the early days of the pandemic, rushing to meet the urgent need for widespread remote access. Connecting users often came at the expense of other factors, such as security, performance, and management. As most respondents (81%) expect to continue working-from-home (WFH), 2021 will likely be the time when enterprises address these remaining issues.

Only 7 percent of respondents indicated that everyone would move back to the office, while 80% indicated their companies will continue with a remote workforce in whole or in part. Enforcing corporate security policies on remote users was a major security challenge (58% of respondents) while 57% of respondents indicated they lacked the time and resources to implement recognized security best practices.

More than 90% of respondents expect SASE to simplify management and security. Half of respondents (52%) indicated that SASE would be very or extremely important to their businesses post COVID-19. Of those who’ve already adopted SASE, 86% of respondents reported increased security.

For many respondents, security is becoming too complicated. Most respondents (57% of respondents) felt they lacked the time and resources to implement recognized security best practices. Even something as basic as quickly patching software and systems poses a challenge for many enterprises (32% of respondents).

Channel Impact^®
The data outline key pain points through which channel partners can solidify customer relationships and propel higher revenues.