Pandemic Pushes 89 Percent of Indian IT Leaders

Pandemic Pushes 89 Percent of Indian IT Leaders to Protect Organizational Data from Ransomware According to New Survey

 

Half of Indian IT leaders see a permanent increase in value of data as organisations accelerate digital transformation in 2020 Value of Data Report

 

Druva Inc., the leader in Cloud Data Protection and Management, today announced further results from its inaugural 2020 Value of Data Report, highlighting the rising enterprise technology trends in India. The global survey, commissioned by Druva, offers insights from over 1,000 IT decision makers (ITDMs) in India, the US and UK, and underpins the importance of maximizing the value of data as businesses continue to navigate an unprecedented worldwide situation.

 

As organizational reliance on data continues to rise amid the pandemic, the survey uncovered rising concerns among Indian businesses about data protection, the growing need to enhance resilience, and the role data agility plays in enabling organizational operations and connecting with customers. Of the more than 300 ITDMs surveyed in India, approximately one third (31 percent) report an increase in ransomware attacks on the organization since the pandemic began, and overall 89 percent of ITDMs being more concerned now with protecting their organizational data from ransomware than before the pandemic. It’s clear data has never been more valuable to organizational success, yet 44 percent of organizations do not have the data they collect readily available when needed for decision making.

 

With data being created, stored, and shared in more ways than ever before, IT leaders in India are confronted with unprecedented challenges. The survey reveals that protecting data from outside threats, unauthorised internal access and ensuring business resiliency are becoming key priorities for organisations as they accelerate their cloud migration and digital transformation plans.

 

Other key India findings: 

• Accelerated digital transformation - 76 percent of respondents said that their digital transformation plans have accelerated due to the pandemic.
• Expanding threat surface - since the pandemic began 42 percent reported an increase in video conferencing attacks, malware (40 percent), phishing (35 percent), user error / accidental tampering or deletion (32 percent) and insider attack (31 percent)
• Data Recovery a concern - 67 percent reported that the time to recover data is still an issue and has increased since the pandemic  
• Data access crucial for business survival - 25 percent reported that their company can only go 3 to 4 hours without access to data before causing serious harm to their business

 

“The pandemic, and possibilities of an emergence in the coming months, has forced organizations across India to re-evaluate the health of their data, potential security vulnerabilities, and their level of preparedness”, said Milind Borate, Co-founder and Chief Development Officer, Druva. “The ability to unlock the value of data, rapidly adapt to changing demands, and delight customers will increasingly be determined by their cloud strategy. Cloud data protection plays a pivotal role in this journey, and  Druva Cloud Platform is designed to help organizations accelerate their digital transformation, while ensuring data security and compliance. 

INDIANS MOST OPTIMISTIC IN APAC ABOUT JOB AND PAY RISE

 INDIANS MOST OPTIMISTIC IN APAC ABOUT JOB AND PAY RISE PROSPECTS IN 2021: INDEED GLOBAL SURVEY

• Indian workers (56%) are more than twice as positive about their chances of getting a pay rise next year compared to their counterparts in Australia (20%) and Singapore (23%)
• Over 1 in 3 Indian workers are very optimistic about their career prospects in 2021, the highest in all countries surveyed
• Indian workers deem workplace safety (59%) and employee wellbeing (44%) as the two most important considerations for the 2021 workplace

India’s resilience as it prepares to embrace a new year and a potential vaccine drive is reflected in the optimism of its workers over the job market, majority of whom are upbeat about the chances of their pay rise next year, a global study by Indeed, the world’s number one job site, has found.

64% and 56% Indian workers respectively said they were optimistic about their chances at better career opportunities, and a pay rise in 2021. Yet, 54% said they would not pursue other job opportunities even if approached by other employers, some citing current workplace satisfaction, with most citing job insecurity.

Speaking of resilience, more than 2 in 5 employers said the decisions taken at the outset of the pandemic were effective in ensuring their business continuity. 66% employers also credited their workforce for pulling together and helping their company in this time of crisis.

Although forced into lockdown this year, Indian workers cited greater family time and inclusion/flexibility as positive side effects. 2 in 5 workers said “more time with family” and “more opportunities to work from home” had the biggest impact on their personal circumstances in 2020. The study notes interestingly that both Indian employers and workers share polarized views about work-life balance and how they expect the future to pan out. 41% employers and 39% employees said lines between work and life have permanently blurred, with another 40% employers and employees saying lines are more separate than ever.

As Indian workers look to the future, a 59% majority said they expected workplaces in 2021 to show greater consideration to hygiene, health and safety, with another 44% citing mental wellbeing as the second most important consideration. On cue, 1 in 2 employers said that social distancing and hygiene measures would be a priority while implementing new workplace policies in 2021. Embracing hybrid work as the future of work, more than 7 in 10 employers said they would increase work-from-home options, with another 59% stating improved flexible work options as an important consideration while implementing new workplace policies.

Sashi Kumar, Managing Director, Indeed India, said, “Covid-19 disrupted economies of the world, but it also created an opportunity for the workforce and workplace to adapt, pivot and reimagine. This research shows that some of the changes undergone in 2020 will have a lasting impact, with both employers and workers eyeing greater flexibility in work methods and placing a new emphasis on health and hygiene. Our study also shows that employee wellbeing and work-life balance are now workplace imperatives, while skilling will be an important conversation for organizations to drive in 2021. As the world’s second largest labour market moves towards its economic recovery, how organizations redefine their talent strategies and workplace practices, will play a critical role in how India prepares for the future of work.”

Signaling revival, platform data shows the number of job postings on Indeed India – a real time measure of labor market activity in the country, has increased across industries. Growth in job postings was -18.5% in November 2020, from -50% in June-July 2020. Concurring with this sentiment while responding to their 2021 hiring plans in the study, 37% Indian employers said they planned to hire at higher volumes than before the pandemic, with another 17% expecting to revert to pre-pandemic levels of hiring.

The Indeed Global Survey measured the sentiment of 3600 employers and 14,142 employees across the UK, US, Ireland, Australia, India, France, Germany, Belgium, Netherlands, Italy, Singapore, Mexico, Brazil and Canada between November 13 and November 20 this year. This included 251 employers and 1015 employees in India. The research was conducted by Censuswide.