Less than a third of businesses (29%) across the Caribbean have upgraded their cyber security as a direct result of the pandemic, a survey of 1,900 businesses across the Caribbean has found.
The information was contained in the Digital Transformation Research Report and Guide, which looks at the attitudes towards digital transformation and the impact the pandemic has had on businesses in this respect.
Through this research, Digicel Business has been able to get a better picture of where companies are on their digital transformation journey, the Digicel said.
The company said it is then able to provide some tangible ways that organisations “can invest in that journey”.
The report said that the scale and number of global cyber threats have increased significantly since the onset of COVID-19.
“This increase is directly attributed to the fact that many companies were forced to implement remote work measures in a bid to protect their workforce from the impact of the virus. Currently, in the third year of the pandemic, many are still working remotely.”
Kyron Duncan, head of Digicel Business, St. Vincent said: “Cyber security is a hot topic globally, and it’s something that can have a devastating impact on anyone, personally or professionally. You don’t need to be a large company to be targeted.
“While 77% of businesses surveyed across the Caribbean had accelerated their digital strategy because of the pandemic, the resulting growth from this digital transformation investment is at risk if cyber security isn’t upgraded accordingly.”
Digicel business said that organisations that have not taken the necessary precautions to protect their information remain vulnerable to catastrophic assaults.
Globally, it is recognised that a cyber attack happens every 39 seconds, “so protecting company and customer data is imperative to keep businesses operational in the face of ever-present threats,” the company further said in a press release.
Duncan added: “When we decided to do this report it was because we saw an information gap in the industry with statistics specifically reflecting businesses in the Caribbean. We hope that the information in this report can serve as a guide for any entrepreneur looking at digital transformation and wondering how best to proceed.”
The report is targeted at business leaders, owners and decision makers who are looking to improve their understanding of digital transformation, and the benefits and challenges that come along with it, especially in the current climate. The report is now available, free to download.