More than half (51 per cent) of UK business leaders think their shift to a cloud-based business model saved their company from collapse during the COVID-19 pandemic.

This is according to access management solutions provider Centrify, which surveyed 200 senior business decision-makers in large and medium-sized companies in the UK earlier this month, finding that 60 per cent are now planning to substantially increase their use of cloud-based IT throughout and following the pandemic.

The research also revealed that 39 per cent of decision-makers think that the crisis has exposed gaps in their cyber security armour. Conversely, this data point suggested that a majority of companies (61 per cent) were ready for the huge security challenge posed by the Coronavirus and the shift to remote working.

However, 60 per cent of business leaders also agreed that they are more aware of the risks facing their organisation after the recent surge in phishing attacks aimed at distanced workers.

More worryingly, 56 per cent of those surveyed said that remote working has made it harder to identify potential hackers impersonating staff, and as a result, more than half (51 per cent) said remote working has led to an increase in insider threats.

Andy Heather, vice president at Centrify, commented: “Facing the security threats posed by Covid-19 continues to be no easy task, but fortunately business leaders have been rewarded for their trust in public cloud adoption."

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