Cybersecurity experts and professionals are normally responsible for keeping organizations safe in a digital world.  But a new study has revealed that the coronavirus pandemic has changed their jobs.

Security an essential function

A recent survey looked at how the need to maintain business operations in the shadow of coronavirus has changed employees’ jobs. The survey also showed the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on cybersecurity professionals.

As many as 81% of the respondents agreed that their companies see security as an essential function during the COVID-19 pandemic.  Nevertheless, many companies have moved their cybersecurity professionals to other areas. About half of the respondents have been taken off some or all of their typical security duties to help with other IT tasks. These include equipping a newly-mobile workforce.

Over 15% of the respondents revealed that their information security team does not have the resources necessary to support a remote workforce.

The Perfect Storm: Remote Work and Decreased Cybersecurity

Remote work is popular in the wake of the Coronavirus.  90% of respondents’ organizations have moved to remote work-from-home policies and closed their physical work environments for employees. Nearly half  said that working from home is allowed for all employees.  49% said that some employees are working remotely.

The work-from-home trend and the changes to the jobs of cybersecurity professionals offer reason for concern. 23% of the survey-takers said that cybersecurity incidents experienced by their company had hiked since the shift to remote work. Some experts say that the cyberattacks have doubled since the transition.