"Using More Complex IT Security Strategies Does Not Necessarily Increase Security, Survey Finds"
According to a survey conducted by Hornetsecurity, organizations activated more Microsoft 365 security features in the last year as cyberattacks increasingly targeted them. The global IT security and compliance survey of over 800 IT professionals discovered that the use of Microsoft 365 security features increases the rate of IT security incidents. Organizations using Microsoft 365 and 1 or 2 of its stock security features reported attacks 24.4 percent and 28.2 percent of the time, respectively, while those using 6 or 7 features reported attacks 55.6 percent and 40.8 percent of the time. Overall, 3 in 10 organizations (29.2 percent) using Microsoft 365 reported a known security incident in the previous 12 months. The survey suggests that while additional security features are necessary, it is more practical to use tried and tested, user-friendly solutions, preferably carried out by dedicated security professionals. Hornetsecurity experts say these findings could be due to a variety of factors. They suggest that organizations with a high number of implemented security features did so as a result of sustained cyber-attacks over time in an effort to mitigate security threats. They also claim that the more security features IT teams try to implement, the more complicated the security system becomes. Misconfigured features can lead to vulnerabilities. Over 60 percent of respondents stated that the main obstacle to implementing security features within their organization is a lack of 'time or resources.' This article continues to discuss key findings from Hornetsecurity's survey regarding roadblocks faced by IT professionals in implementing security features, the most common security features used within organizations, and more.