Study Reveals 85% of Companies in MEA Region Using Container Development Methods Experience Cybersecurity Incidents

In today’s digital age, companies are constantly looking for ways to streamline their software development processes and increase efficiency. One popular method that has gained traction in recent years is container development. However, a new study by Kaspersky has revealed that this approach may come with its own set of cybersecurity challenges.

According to the study, a staggering 85 per cent of companies in the Middle East, Turkiye, and Africa region that use container development methods have experienced cybersecurity incidents in the past year. These incidents have led to consequences such as confidential data leaks, financial losses, and decreased customer trust.

One of the key challenges highlighted in the study is the difficulty faced by geo-distributed companies in maintaining network security across multi-site infrastructure, especially in hybrid cloud and containerized environments. Despite having in-house IT development teams, a significant number of companies reported cybersecurity incidents related to containers and Kubernetes.

Timofey Titkov, the Head of the Cloud & Network Security Product Line at Kaspersky, emphasized the importance of implementing robust security measures to safeguard against cyber threats in hybrid cloud and containerized environments. He stressed the need for proactive security measures to mitigate risks and maintain customer trust as organizations continue to expand their digital footprint.

The study also revealed that the consequences of these cyber incidents were severe, with a significant number of them resulting in confidential data leaks, financial losses, and the loss of customer trust. Respondents cited errors in configurations, flaws in runtime security processes, and late detection of malware in containers as the primary reasons for these attacks.

To address these challenges, Kaspersky recommended using specialized solutions such as Kaspersky Container Security to ensure security across all stages of containerized application development. This, in turn, could serve as the first step in implementing more comprehensive DevOps and cloud security solutions like the upcoming Kaspersky Cloud Workload Security.

In conclusion, while container development offers numerous benefits in terms of efficiency and scalability, companies must not overlook the cybersecurity risks associated with this approach. By implementing robust security measures and leveraging specialized solutions, organizations can better protect their containerized environments and safeguard against potential cyber threats.