61% of Pakistani businesses consider Data protection as main concern for IT Security

Islamabad: According to the latest Kaspersky IT Security Economics report, most companies worldwide identify productivity loss, securing complex technological environments, and ensuring data protection as their most pressing business challenges. These concerns stem from the growing demands of IT security. In Pakistan, data protection is a particularly significant issue, with business process outsourcing challenges also highlighted by many organizations.

The Kaspersky IT Security Economics report, published annually, examines changes in budgets, data breaches, and challenges influencing IT security decision-making. The report is based on interviews with IT and cybersecurity professionals from organizations of varying sizes and industries. The survey covers 27 countries across Europe, the Asia-Pacific region, Latin America, North America, the Middle East, Türkiye, and the Africa (META) region, including Pakistan.66% See Negative Business Outlook Despite Improvement

Data protection emerged as a critical concern for 33% of companies globally and 61% of companies in Pakistan. Many respondents cited issues such as physical loss of devices by employees and data leaks from corporate systems caused by both external and internal factors.

The report also highlights that downtime and reduced productivity are significant business problems attributed to inadequate IT security, as expressed by 38% of companies globally and 20% in Pakistan. These issues primarily arise from delays in detecting and addressing security threats. Additionally, 19% of organizations in Pakistan reported business process outsourcing as a major concern.

Globally, 33% of respondents, and 9% in Pakistan, also cited securing complex technological environments and maintaining data connectivity as critical challenges. Key factors contributing to these challenges include the growing number of incidents involving non-computing connected devices and misconfigured cybersecurity solutions, which leave systems vulnerable.

“It is essential for organizations to protect every aspect of their operations from potential breaches. Attackers no longer rely solely on zero-day exploits; a simple click on a malicious link or a vulnerability in a contractor’s system can lead to severe consequences. This highlights the need for a comprehensive and systematic approach to information security, rather than relying on isolated, point-specific measures,” said Alexey Vovk, Information Security Director at Kaspersky.