Data protection tops IT security concerns for 61% of Pakistani businesses: report

LAHORE: Globally, companies face growing challenges related to IT security, with concerns over productivity loss, managing complex technology environments and ensuring data protection topping the list. In Pakistan, data protection has emerged as the most significant issue, while challenges related to business process outsourcing are also widely reported.

These insights come from the latest Kaspersky IT Security Economics report, which is released annually to track changes in budgets, breaches and business challenges impacting IT security decision-makers. The report draws on interviews with IT and security professionals from organizations of various sizes and industries across 27 countries, including Pakistan.

According to the findings, 61 per cent of Pakistani businesses identified data protection as their primary IT security concern, compared to 33 per cent of businesses globally. Organisations highlighted issues such as the physical loss of devices by employees and data leaks from corporate systems caused by both internal and external factors.

Downtime and lost productivity were cited as the most pressing business problems caused by ineffective IT security. This concern was shared by 38 per cent of companies globally but only 20 per cent in Pakistan.

Pakistani organizations attributed this challenge to the extended time required to detect and remediate cyber threats. Furthermore, 19 per cent of businesses in Pakistan also flagged issues related to business process outsourcing as a key concern.

Securing complex technology environments and ensuring seamless data connectivity were also major challenges for 33 per cent of respondents globally and 9.0 per cent in Pakistan. These issues often stem from the increasing number of incidents involving connected non-computing devices and improper functioning of cybersecurity solutions that leave systems vulnerable.

Alexey Vovk, information security director at Kaspersky, talked about the importance of a holistic approach to IT security: “Attackers no longer rely solely on zero-day exploits. A simple click on a malicious link or a vulnerability in a contractor’s infrastructure can have devastating consequences. This highlights the need for organisations to adopt a comprehensive and systematic approach to information security, rather than focusing on isolated measures,” he said.

To address these concerns, Kaspersky recommends the use of integrated security solutions that offer real-time protection, advanced threat detection, and incident response capabilities. Organisations should ensure their cybersecurity teams have deep visibility into emerging threats. For companies lacking qualified InfoSec professionals, Kaspersky suggests adopting managed security services to ensure robust protection.