Even though remote-working has become an essential part of the new normal, it has increased the risk of security breaches and threats which can lead to loss of data, breaches of privacy, to name a few. Filip Cotfas, Sales and Business Development Manager (India and SAARC) at CoSoSys, shares with Ramesh Kumar Raja that how businesses should take data privacy seriously and step up their cybersecurity measures. Cotfas also underlines the fact that India is becoming a mature market when it comes to Data Loss Prevention. Excerpts:
How do you look at the current situation of data security in India, especially in the wake of the COVID-19 outbreak forcing people to work remotely?
The COVID-19 pandemic has added the data concerns in India. The sudden shift to the work-from-home model has raised privacy concerns and security issues in all the industries.
We proactively educate our customers and partners on the new threats and scenarios that appeared due to COVID and advise them on mitigating the risks.
With remote work becoming the new norm, how vulnerable are businesses to data breaches?
Remote work emphasized the key challenges being faced related to data protection and compliance with regulations. In the past few months, the number of cyber-attacks and data breaches has increased. India has recorded the highest number of data breaches along with the US and the Middle East.
All businesses need to take data privacy seriously and step up their cybersecurity measures. They really need to start rethinking the way they look at security and make the necessary changes to overcome the challenges of WFH.
What are the most common data threats nowadays as they keep changing/ evolving with time or day-to-day lifestyle trends?
The most common threats that have been increasing in the past year are insider threats. The human factor is often the most difficult to control and predict when it comes to data security and protection.
The amount of digital data is growing considerably together with human interactions with the data. The potential risks of insider threats are numerous, including financial fraud, data corruption, theft of valuable information, and installing malware, which can lead to data breaches.
The new work-from-home policy can mean no live supervision and little to no training for handling new security risks. Employees can also face more distractions in their home settings, coupled with the overlying stress of the pandemic and regular work pressure.
What one should do to keep data breaches at bay, as the situation is only going to worsen in the coming times, giving more room to cybercrimes?
Businesses should make sure all exit points are secured, and that the users are educated on data security threats. It’s always better to prevent than to fix a problem.
| “One of the data security trends that will dominate 2021 is the proactive approach, which focuses on preventing attacks rather than reacting after an attack. Another trend is accelerating and reviewing security and compliance. Data breaches keep increasing, especially since the WFH scenario. Many companies strive to achieve compliance with employees working from home while addressing new vulnerabilities” |
India still is new to DLP, how is CoSoSys leveraging this trend? What are the DLP solutions that you offer and what will be your future offerings?
India is becoming a mature market when it comes to DLP. The awareness for Data Loss Prevention and data security has increased a lot in the past year. We are looking to provide our DLP solution with advanced features and functionalities that ensure security, flexibility, and compliance for larger companies.
Can you please tell us in short about the services you provide and what are the technicalities involved?
Endpoint Protector by CoSoSys is an advanced enterprise-grade DLP solution for Windows, macOS, and Linux computers, Thin Clients, and Desktop-as-a-Service (DaaS) platforms.
The solution efficiently stops unintentional data leaks, protects from malicious data theft, and offers seamless control of portable storage devices.
Are governments and their public-dealing institutions doing enough to protect citizens’ confidential data?
Governments are aware and taking precautions but the pandemic and WFH policy has disrupted the normal way of work. Companies now need to rethink their security strategy to adapt to the new environment and new threats.
Is there a dire need to educate businesses about DLP? How has been the acceptance?
Education is a non-ending process and companies need to keep up with the technological changes. Also, businesses need to counsel employees and educate them on how to secure sensitive and confidential data. There is no doubt that COVID-19 has fast changed the business security landscape of organizations worldwide.
What are the areas of growth for CoSoSys in the country and what is your roadmap for the same?
CoSoSys is a leading provider of data security solutions in India and its market plays an important role to us. We have strengthened our Channel Partner Program here, through which we’ve tried to establish an understanding of why the Data Loss Prevention solutions are business-relevant and should be in priority.
We are also looking to develop the product more for India, offering more features like predefined policies for local compliance.
Through the help of our Channel Partners, we are covering Tier II and Tier III as well, and we are also focusing on Awareness and Educational content focused on the Tier II and III cities, with the help of local media.
How does your solution distinguish from the competition?
We provide Data Loss Prevention not just for Windows, but also for macOS and Linux computers, Thin Clients, and DaaS platforms. We are pioneers in the implementation of DLP for macOS and Linux, covering Mac OS X 10.4+ and several Linux distributions – Ubuntu, OpenSUSE, RedHat, and more.
Our cross-platform coverage extends to all Endpoint Protector modules, including USB Enforced Encryption, enabling seamless management of all endpoints regardless of their operating system, all from a single dashboard.
Can you please tell us about the data security trends that will dominate the industry in 2021?
One of the data security trends that will dominate 2021 is the proactive approach, which focuses on preventing attacks rather than reacting after an attack.
Another trend is accelerating and reviewing security and compliance. Data breaches keep increasing, especially since the WFH scenario. Many companies strive to achieve compliance with employees working from home while addressing new vulnerabilities.
