Security inquiries increase in wake of cyberattack campaigns

Online hacking campaigns against supply chains dominated the headlines through 2021, which led to a 70% surge in organisations requesting security services such as endpoint security and VPN connectivity.

The findings come from the Voice of the Channel and Predictions Report, published by Untangle, which took in the views of over 1,500 industry partners worldwide concerning challenges faced through the last 12 months. The survey gives insight into the customer threat landscape, service portfolios and trends that are shaping strategic business decisions through 2022.

Cloud deployments

Over the last four years, clients have increasingly moved their IT stack to the cloud, with a quarter of all respondents saying they have 75% or more of their stack deployed in the cloud.

However, the number of organisations that believe moving data and network traffic to the cloud offers better security is down 11% (36.5% in 2021 compared to 47.6% in 2020). This statistic could be an indicator that trust in the cloud for small-to-medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) has diminished, perhaps due to the extensive number of cyberattacks on cloud-based infrastructures over the last year. Nonetheless, 83% expect that the cybersecurity side of their business will increase.

Among further key points of note, top products being deployed include firewalls and network security, endpoint security, and email security. Significantly, just 23% of those polled currently offer technologies that support zero trust environments.

Remote working and hybrid arrangements have also driven these trends, with almost half (49%) of those surveyed saying that their clients were continuing to push towards a fully remote working structure.

Phishing, ransomware, and employees not practicing good digital hygiene were among the chief concerns recorded in the study.

Heather Paunet, SVP of Products at Untangle, said:

“In a year that saw an increase in organisations transitioning – and staying – with a remote workforce, cyberattacks have likewise increased. Many made headlines for weeks at a time. The growing number of cyberattacks and security risks this past year have partners investigating newer security approaches more intently.”

“As partners look to overcome the challenges that arise in supporting globally dispersed networks and end users, they will likely need to adopt new solutions, like zero trust, into their portfolios to meet these needs,” Paunet added.

“By combining zero trust with newer VPN technologies, partners can better help protect their clients’ business, critical data and remote workers,” Paunet continued.