Axitea analyses physical and IT security in Italian companies

There is a clear difference between large and small companies in the way they deal with security: this is one of the findings brought to light by the Axitea research – a company operating in the field of physical and IT security – on the investments of Italian companies conducted with NetConsulting.

A difference that, first and foremost, concerns the figures who manage physical and logical security within the company.

The results of Axitea’s research draw attention to one fact: when it comes to cybersecurity, 74.3% of the companies surveyed have an IT Manager in-house. This is a very significant number, but one that mainly concerns large companies. By contrast, small companies tend to rely on external specialised companies (11.7% of responses).

The search for an in-house figure, such as the IT Manager, in large companies is a response to the continuing threats posed by remote working, a mode of work that is very much present in this type of enterprise and which – by expanding the perimeter of attack – calls for a higher level of protection.

The analysis not only focuses on IT security, but also emphasises physical security and shows that its management in large companies is predominantly entrusted to the ‘Corporate Security Department’ headed by the CSO (68.6%).

In contrast, SMEs also tend to rely on external companies (12.9%). This marked difference is mostly determined by a more articulated organisational reality in large companies than in small ones, characterised by large numbers of physical assets to be protected, progressive increases in the number of locations and expansions in the size of offices.

Marco Bavazzano, CEO of Axitea, said: “The last few years have seen a veritable explosion of threats to businesses in the wake of the growing adoption of remote working and increasingly rapid digitisation. Every company must address this issue as a priority by focusing on advanced skills and constant updating, qualities that smaller companies often find in specialised external suppliers.”

Also in Italy, Axitea emphasises, cybersecurity is increasingly in the spotlight. This is confirmed by the data collected in Trend Micro Research’s report Navigating New Frontiers, which show that in 2021 Italy became the fourth country in the world and the first in Europe most affected by malware, with a total number of intercepted attacks amounting to 62,371,693 (three times more than in 2020).