New risks for a new normal It’s been a busy two years for security professionals. In early 2020, when businesses transitioned to remote work environments almost overnight, security teams worked around the clock to empower and protect their newly distributed colleagues. And while many organizations have embraced the benefits of remote work arrangements, businesses have also been exposed to new risks. For example, remote desktop protocols (RDPs) can be compromised through stolen credentials, “man-in-the- middle” attacks (in which an attacker puts themselves in the communication line between two parties), and remote code execution (where an attacker runs their code on a machine or server of their choosing). Many businesses have learned the hard way about the extra security measures needed to keep themselves and their employees safe. But as Cisco’s Future of Secure Remote Work Report reveals, most organizations worldwide remain at best only somewhat prepared to support a remote workforce. Out of the 3000 global IT decision- makers we surveyed, almost all have seen increases in cyber threats and alerts. And with many employees connecting to corporate resources with personal, unmanaged devices, security teams face substantial blind spots. As a result, 66 percent of organizations say that they plan to increase their cybersecurity investments, according to a Cisco study . It’s not just businesses that are taking a more serious look at security and privacy. In September 2021, Cisco published its third annual Consumer Privacy Survey , which found growing concerns about protecting consumer data and the privacy of remote collaboration tools. Nearly half of respondents feel they are unable to protect their data effectively. As some workers return to offices and share information such as their health and vaccination status with governments and employers, embedding privacy into operations and tools—and communicating privacy practices clearly and simply to employees and customers—will be crucial. With one of the industry’s most robust portfolios of solutions for a secure, hybrid workforce, Cisco is helping organizations adapt to this new reality. 86% of consumers say they care about privacy Cisco 2021 Consumer Privacy Survey FUTURE INTRO POWER INCLUSIVE 2021 Cisco Purpose Report | csr.cisco.com | ESG Reporting Hub 20