Hybrid work may be convenient in some aspects but the latest report from Fortinet, a cybersecurity company, shows that unmanaged devices pose security risks.

As per the survey conducted by the International Data Corp. (IDC) for Fortinet, 30% of devices connecting to networks in the Philippines are unmanaged, making them vulnerable attack vectors for cybercriminals. Survey respondents expect this figure to rise, with 76% predicting a 50% increase by 2025.

“As the Philippines continues to embrace the digital future and become a leader in the digital economy, it is essential that we acknowledge the increasing frequency and sophistication of cyber-attacks and data breaches,” said Alan Reyes, country manager at Fortinet Philippines.

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The Fortinet survey saw that 88% of respondents in the Philippines have a hybrid or fully remote working model, with more than two-thirds (58%) which leads to the rise of a “Branch-Office-of-One” or basically, work-from-anywhere setup. The data from Fortinet showed that 76% of respondents expect unmanaged devices to grow by over 50%.

It heightens security risks which now prompts organizations to adopt SASE (Secure Access Service Edge) framework, or essentially securing software-defined wide area networking (SD-WAN) and Zero Trust security solutions into a cloud-delivered platform.

Single-Vendor SASE

According to the survey, which involved cybersecurity leaders in nine countries in the Asia Pacific (APAC) region, organizations in the Philippines are looking at investing in Single-Vendor SASE solutions to improve their security posture and provide consistency in the user experience for remote employees. 

“The need for a comprehensive solution that offers a consistent security posture for users on and off the network while simplifying security policy management and enhancing the user experience for remote employees is driving many organizations to explore SASE,” Fortinet said in its media release.

To further bolster its security postures and simplify cloud security, many organizations have an increasing preference for Single Vendor SASE. According to the survey, 76% of respondents prefer a single vendor for networking and security capabilities, with 82% consolidating or in the process of consolidating their IT security vendors. More than half (54%) of the respondents prefer a single vendor for cloud-delivered security services and SDWAN.

“The preference for a single vendor and infrastructure convergence demonstrates the need for efficient management, and zero-trust architecture can enhance security and usability,” said “Simon Piff, research vice president, IDC Asia Pacific. “Organizations need to address these challenges and invest in security solutions to support their hybrid workforce and reduce security threats.”

Survey respondents came from nine industries, including manufacturing (14%), retail (13%), logistics (14%), healthcare (13%), FSI (10%), and public sector (11%).