1Password releases annual security report

TORONTO – 1Password has released its annual State of Enterprise Security report, Balancing act: Security and productivity in the age of AI.

Based on a survey of 1,500 North American workers, including 500 IT security professionals, the report reveals how disruptive technologies like artificial intelligence (AI) are heightening the longstanding tension between organizational security and employee productivity.

“Since the pandemic, employees have gained unprecedented flexibility in where and how they work, and that flexibility often extends to the apps and devices they use. Productivity has become paramount, leaving significant security challenges for IT and security leaders—who often feel like they don't have bandwidth or budget to keep employees secure,” said Jeff Shiner, CEO of 1Password. “When it comes to security and productivity, it shouldn't be either-or. Businesses and security providers alike need to deliver solutions that keep employees protected and productive—no matter how they prefer to work. When you secure your people, you secure your business.”

The report asserts that security professionals are struggling, as IT and security teams work to expand employee access to new tools and technologies like generative AI, the challenge of keeping up with the speed of technology and safeguarding their organizations has dramatically increased.

● An impossible balance: Half of security pros (50%) say it’s almost impossible to find the right balance between security and employee productivity.

● Security spread thin: More than two-thirds of security pros (69%) admit they’re at least partly reactive when it comes to security. The main reason? They’re being pulled in too many conflicting directions (61%).

● Dangerously vulnerable: Four in five security pros (79%) don’t feel their security protections are adequate.

● SSO isn’t enough: More than two-thirds of security pros (69%) say single sign-on (SSO) tools are not a complete solution for securing employees’ identity.

You can read 1Password’s full annual report online at blog.1password.com.