To quantify the true scope of risk introduced by COVID-19, we looked at data movement activity using the Digital Guardian Data Protection Platform before and after the COVID-19 global pandemic declaration. The research in the DG Data Trends Report is based on aggregated and anonymized data from nearly 200 customers of Digital Guardian’s Managed Security Program around the globe. It represents a wide range of organization sizes and industries, including financial services, manufacturing, healthcare, and business services. As they continue to work from home, employees from these companies regularly interact with regulated and structured data as well as unstructured intellectual property and trade secrets. Our unique classification and data visibility capabilities allow us to share how much data was egressed, and whether the data was classified.

Based on our findings, it’s clear that risk to sensitive data from both insider and outsider threats has spiked since the WHO declared the COVID-19 outbreak a global pandemic. Almost overnight, thousands of companies around the world were forced to transform into distributed organizations where working from home became the “new normal.” Many organizations were not prepared for this transition. This has introduced a significant increase in the risk of sensitive data loss as remote employees move and use data via unsanctioned means. The risks to sensitive data have been compounded by external adversaries, trying to take advantage of the new work from home phenomena through increased opportunistic attacks on remote workers.

Check out our infographic below for key findings from the report and helpful data protection methods!

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