Vecto: 64% of companies have experienced a cyber threat

Ten post dostępny jest także w języku: polski

In connection with the outbreak of Covid-19, there has been an increase in the number of companies in Poland that have experienced a cyber attack. However, despite the higher threat level, more and more companies are abandoning the support of professional staff responsible for cyber security, according to the report ,,Cyber Security in Polish companies 2021″ by Vecto.

Cyber security in the face of a pandemic

This year’s fourth edition of the Vecto survey shows that as a result of the pandemic, only one in ten companies (12%) in Poland has implemented additional security for employees working remotely. This is quite a disturbing fact because, according to the survey, over 90% of employees have access to company IT infrastructure. Moreover, 82% of them firmly state that home office in the era of coronavirus increases the risk of cyber threats, and 85% believe that as a result of the current situation the company should invest in IT solutions.

Cyber security while working remotely may also be negatively impacted by the fact that 92% of those surveyed admit to using company equipment for private purposes. This is 14% more than in the same survey a year earlier. The current situation also affects the time spent online. According to the survey conducted by Vecto company, one third of Poles admit that their time spent online has increased up to 4 hours a day.  According to WIB analysis, during the first period of the pandemic Poles most often used electronic banking and the possibility to run official errands (79%), clothes shopping (32%) and medical e-counselling (26%).

2/3 of companies have experienced a cyber attack

In this year’s edition of the Vecto survey, 64% of the surveyed companies admitted that they had encountered a cyber attack. A year ago, 45% answered yes. Which may raise some concerns, despite the growing number of cyber threats, more and more companies in Poland decide not to monitor such incidents and employ a data security specialist. A total of 48% of respondents declared using the services of cybersecurity experts, of which 26% have them as internal employees, and 22% use the help of external specialists.

According to 73% of employees surveyed, antivirus software is the most effective way to protect against cyber threats. In second place (13%) are training courses, and data backup completes the podium. As in previous years, still the most popular way to secure company devices is password protection (both for computers and mobile devices). 67% of respondents admit to using one password to log in to different accounts.

Major cyber threats to businesses

As in previous years, we attribute the main cyber security threats to unknown hacker groups. This is believed by 62% of respondents. In second place on the list was the company’s internal employees (25%), who, according to those surveyed, are an increasingly important source of cyber threats every year. In the Vecto survey, employees were also asked to indicate the area in which data loss would be most severe for the company. One third of the respondents indicated a customer and contact base, 28% unique know-how and intellectual property, 24% a website and 8% company documentation.