Ottawa, February 4, 2021 – Trend Micro Incorporated (TYO: 4704; TSE: 4704), the global leader in cloud security, found that healthcare organizations (HCOs) have accelerated their spending on cloud migration, but many may be over-estimating their ability to protect these environments.

Trend Micro commissioned Sapio Research to survey more than 2,500 IT decision makers in 28 countries, including Canada, across several industry sectors. For HCOs in particular, The results revealed that 88% have accelerated their cloud adoption because of the pandemic, on par with the global finding. Globally, remote working, cost savings and improved IT agility were three main reasons for the switch to cloud-based infrastructure.

According to the survey findings, rapid shifts to the cloud may leave organizations at higher risk of cyber threats. Here are four challenges HCOs in Canada are reportedly faced when moving to cloud-based environments:

• Skills shortages: Half (49% vs. 43% globally) revealed that skills gaps are a persistent barrier to migrating to cloud security solutions.
• Day-to-day operations: Setting and maintaining policies (32% vs. 34%), patching and vulnerability management (29% vs. 32%), and misconfigurations (35% vs 32%) were challenges of protecting cloud workloads.
• Increased costs: 43% (same as global result) have spent more on capital expenses and paying for contracted out services, while 43% (vs. 39% globally) have spent more on operational and training costs since migrating.
• Security responsibility: Over one-third (37% vs. 48%) are confident they understand their part of the Shared Responsibility Model.

While cloud migration isn’t simple, it can be enabled and improved using the right security tools.

“Security is another aspect of building well, not a separate function. And security controls help teams build better in the cloud,” said Mark Nunnikhoven, vice president of cloud research for Trend Micro. “Security can be an accelerator for building in the cloud. Using the right tools and understanding the platforms you’re using is key to making that happen.”

The healthcare sector has been on the frontline in the struggle against COVID-19, and digital transformation can make a positive impact on productivity and patient care during this time of critical need. However, it is essential that the broader attack surface of an expanded digital infrastructure is given due consideration.

With the right cloud-ready solutions in place, HCOs can maximize cloud benefits without putting mission-critical systems or patient data at risk. Such tools can also minimize skills challenges by spotting misconfigurations, automating patching and policy management, and integrating security into DevOps, across both cloud and on-premise environments.

About Trend Micro

Trend Micro, a global leader in cybersecurity, helps make the world safe for exchanging digital information. Leveraging over 30 years of security expertise, global threat research, and continuous innovation, Trend Micro enables resilience for businesses, governments, and consumers with connected solutions across cloud workloads, endpoints, email, IIoT, and networks. Our XGen™ security strategy powers our solutions with a cross-generational blend of threat-defense techniques that are optimized for key environments and leverage shared threat intelligence for better, faster protection. With over 6,700 employees in 65 countries, and the world’s most advanced global threat research and intelligence, Trend Micro enables organizations to secure their connected world. www.trendmicro.com

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