Gartner: The top Executive concerns for Q1 in 2021

This is no surprise that Cybersecurity control failures topped executive concerns in 2021. With the effects of the introduction of team collaboration tools, remote working environments and the speed at which these were implemented without effective governance, it would be reasonable to think this was inevitable.

The top 5 concerns were all internal risks, which again is very reasonable.

“The roots of executive concerns around cybersecurity control failures come from the hasty implementation of remote work brought on by the pandemic and ensuing lockdowns. IT teams were forced to quickly scale up VPN access to the entire organisation” says Gartner. 

Sometimes, it’s the simple initiatives of staff training, implementing appropriate policies, careful monitoring, good oversight and management and then system testing that are overlooked. These are the difference to the risk for internal control failures. 

A simple policy to turn off your computers at the end of the day and have this monitored can reduce risks. You can not access your VPN if your computer is shutdown. Simple isn’t it –  but staff might not understand by closing their laptop screen does not mean it is still not connected to your most valuable asset. 

We have been helping regional authorities and federal entities to manage ICT risks and advising on cyber practices since 2003. Most recently, our work has been to develop cyber plans and reporting frameworks to match upcoming legislation. Feel free to call us and we can get you in touch with one of our clients and they can tell you how we do vendor independent advice better.

Source: Gartner Says Cybersecurity Control Failures Topped Executive Concerns in 1Q21