Kingston Technology Europe, an affiliate of Kingston Technology Company, has revealed the findings of a recent survey among businesses in EMEA indicating that while over half (54%) had already refocused their security policy after the pandemic, 72% of UK-based companies still plan to increase security measures in the near future to mitigate against the risks associated with remote working.

Among those surveyed, 59% believe that remote working has strongly affected their business data security policy, with 62% citing an increase in cybercrime, and 30% saying their need to handle more customer data remotely are key factors.

Unsurprisingly, almost 60% of respondents said that remote working had increased due to, and post, the pandemic but 44% admitted that employees were using their own laptops when working from home.

While businesses are using a mix of measures to reduce risk, including security training, antivirus software, secure VPNs and access management controls, there has also been a 25% increase in the use of encrypted USBs, and 27% of the companies surveyed plan to increase USB usage in the near future.

Kingston Technology survey: security policies subject to continuous assessment

“Our survey indicates that security policies are constantly being assessed to ensure they meet the changing risk landscape,” said Ann Keefe, Regional Director – UK and Ireland at Kingston Technology.

“One alarming finding is the high percentage of employees using their own devices to access sensitive corporate data. This makes it vital that multiple complementary security methods are in place, and one crucial element is encrypted USBs that are being used to transfer data.”

Kingston Technology webinar on importance of SySS Pen testing

Kingston Technology addressed this issue during a recent webinar aimed at helping enterprises reduce the risk of data loss, specifically looking at the use of USB devices, particularly for moving data between the office and home to support modern hybrid working practices.

“It’s easy to use USBs but the risk of data loss is a significant concern,” Ann Keefe continued. “This webinar addressed the importance of encrypting all the data stored on USB devices effectively and provided helpful guidance to keep data safe.”

The webinar was hosted by security expert Daniel Doring, Managing Director at EgoMind GmbH and Bala Sivapalan, Field Application Engineer at Kingston Technology, who together explored the role of encryption in safeguarding the valuable data of enterprises.

Participants gained insights into:
• The significance of data security for USB devices in the modern work environment.

• Best practices for encrypted data on USB devices to prevent data loss.

• The importance of SySS Penetration testing.

• Kingston Technology’s commitment to maintaining the highest security standards through SySS penetration testing of their IronKey VP50/VP50C.

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