SYDNEY:  A survey of cyber security professionals has shown that almost half of them have been partially diverted to non-security duties as a result of Covid-19, handling tasks such as equipping a mobile workforce and struggling with ensuring secure remote working.

The survey was made up of members of ISC, the international organisation for cyber security professionals responsible for the Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) certification.

Some 47 percent of respondents said all employees were working from home, and 49pc said some employees were working remotely. Fifteen percent of respondents said their information security teams did not have the resources to support a remote workforce, and another 34 percent expect to face a resource shortfall down the track.

Covid-19-induced challenges included a lack of hardware to support a larger number of remote workers; difficulties in quickly deploying technology for remote working with adequate security to protect systems; and helping end users understand and abide by security policies outside the office. 

To make matters worse, 23 percent said cybersecurity incidents had increased since transitioning to remote work – with some tracking as many as double the number of incidents. – Stuart Corner