Digital transformation is putting security at risk

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The rush to digital transformation is putting organisations' sensitive data at risk according to new research from the cybersecurity firm Thales.

The company's 2019 Thales Data Threat Report, with research and analysis from IDC, explores how organisations are struggling to implement proper data security when adopting and implementing new technologies such as multi-cloud deployments.

Of those surveyed, 97 percent said that their organisation was already undergoing some level of digital transformation. Respondents also confirmed that they are using and exposing sensitive data within these environments.

Organisations taking an aggressive approach to digital transformation are most at risk for data breaches and surprisingly the study found that less than a third of respondents (30%) are using encryption within these environments.

Multi-cloud risk

Companies are either moving to the cloud or multi-cloud environments as part of their digital transformation journey but this makes protecting their sensitive data increasingly complex. Nine out of 10 respondents are using, or plan to use, some type of cloud environment and 44 percent rated complexity as a perceived barrier to implementing proper data security measures.

Additionally, despite the fact that 60 percent of organisations have been breached at some point, few are investing in protection to secure their data in the cloud. 

According to Thales' research, 86 percent of organisations feel vulnerable to data threats though few are doing anything about it as evidenced by the less than 30 percent of respondents using encryption as part of their digital transformation strategy.

Vice President of Market Strategy at Thales eSecurity, Tina Stewart explained that organisations need to rethink their security strategies to counter potential data breaches in a statement, saying:

"Data security is vitally important. Organizations need to take a fresh look at how they implement a data security and encryption strategy in support of their transition to the cloud and meeting regulatory and compliance mandates. As our 2019 Thales Data Threat Report shows, we have now reached a point where almost every organization has been breached.”

Anthony Spadafora

After working with the TechRadar Pro team for the last several years, Anthony is now the security and networking editor at Tom’s Guide where he covers everything from data breaches and ransomware gangs to the best way to cover your whole home or business with Wi-Fi. When not writing, you can find him tinkering with PCs and game consoles, managing cables and upgrading his smart home.