IT and security teams are facing new responsibilities as corporate networks expand and employees move to hybrid work. A study commissioned by Cloudflare revealed that 52% of IT security professionals now have the task of ensuring the security of both on-site and remote workers, compared to five years ago when this was not part of their role. Additionally, 46% have taken on managing and securing applications in public cloud platforms or data in software-as-a-service (SaaS) environments. The study, conducted by Forrester Consulting and involving 449 IT decision-makers worldwide, found that 53% of respondents now have the responsibility of ensuring regulatory compliance, a task they didn’t have before. However, IT professionals are finding it increasingly difficult to handle these new tasks, with 30% describing the management and security of public cloud platforms and SaaS data as more complex than in 2020. Furthermore, almost 40% admitted to losing control of their IT and security environments due to the adoption of SaaS-based applications to support a hybrid workplace.
The expansion of corporate networks and the rise of hybrid work have led IT and security teams to take on additional responsibilities. IT security professionals now have the responsibility of ensuring the security of both on-site and remote workers, a task that didn’t exist five years ago. They have also taken on managing and securing applications in public cloud platforms and data in SaaS environments. The study revealed that 53% of IT decision-makers now have the task of ensuring regulatory compliance. However, IT professionals are facing challenges in handling these new responsibilities, with many finding the management and security of public cloud platforms and SaaS data more complex than in 2020. Additionally, almost 40% of respondents admitted to losing control of their IT and security environments, primarily due to the adoption of SaaS-based applications to support a hybrid workplace.
The increase in responsibilities has made it difficult for IT and security teams to maintain control over their environments. Factors contributing to this loss of control include a spike in the number of applications, an increase in hosting locations, a shift from on-premise to cloud, and the transition toward a hybrid or remote workforce. The study also highlighted the expanding user base, including machines and third-party systems, as a challenge for organizations. IT professionals face hurdles in maintaining team productivity and securing the growing attack surface. The need to balance productivity and security has put IT and security teams under pressure to manage the evolving business landscape effectively.