INDUSTRY
THE MONTH THAT WAS
NEWS REPORT Remote security top concern as hybrid working decentralises procurement As hybrid working grows in the UK it can bring new security risks - which business owners and IT leads need to be aware of. Dealers can lead the way in ensuring the technology is secure
I
T heads say data leaks in the home
people working from home is ensuring that the technology
will cause the biggest security
connected to business systems is secure,” said Mike
headache over the next two years
Mulholland, head of services and solutions at Brother UK.
as hybrid working arrangements see
“This is part of a wider opportunity for the channel, as
employees buying and installing their
they help customers respond to new challenges from the
own technology, according to new
workforce becoming more dispersed by providing new
research by Brother UK. More than a third (34%) of respondents cited the issue as
solutions and services. “It’s important that suppliers consult with clients on
their top concern as more decentralised purchasing decisions
balancing the efficiencies gained from decentralised
for devices such as laptops, printers and scanners are creating
procurement against the security and integration that’s
more data vulnerabilities. The research, which surveyed 500 IT
more assured from centralised decision-making. Helping
leads working for UK businesses, found that just 13% expect
customers to build lists of approved technology for
employees to be in the office full-time over the next two
employees to procure from may pay dividends in
years. Other top concerns included data security in
productivity and security benefits.
the office (27%), network security for remote workers (13%) and accountability (12%). Work to minimise security risks was signalled by 23% of
“It will also be important for IT vendors and partners to highlight when managed services can offer the best outcomes for businesses. Managed print services, for
respondents anticipating that office technology would be
example, give IT managers full oversight of print fleets
centrally procured with employees purchasing home tech
wherever they may be, enabling them to manage security
from approved supplier lists over the next two years - up
settings, firmware updates, and diagnostics from afar.”
from 19% which currently have this procurement model.
MANAGING SECURITY TOP PRIORITY
Overall, the research found security to be the top priority for
However, 11% of IT leads said they expect all office and home
IT heads, with 63% viewing the issue as ‘very important’ over
technology to be procured by employees on their own over
the next two years, compared to 52% who cited productivity,
the same period, compared to just 5% currently operating in
50% said cost-efficiency and 48% said sustainability.
this way, This could signal some additional challenges for security in the future. “The immediate challenge for IT leads in managing
[08] NOVEMBER 2021
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Meanwhile, 49% link IT security with business resilience, and 66% said they are currently working towards improving their IT security to underpin resilience.
