IT and security leaders feel less secure now than they did a year ago, with 79% believing that emerging technologies like GenAI will ‘change the game’, leaving them unprepared. These are just two of the key findings of a new report by Google Cloud transformation partner, Appsbroker CTS.
The report, which surveyed more than 150 IT and security decision-makers across multiple sectors, revealed that a large number of leaders are now feeling overwhelmed by the challenge of securing their business in the face of rising threats.
The top five concerns of IT leaders, as revealed in the report ‘Tipping the cyber scales: How defenders can get back in the game’, are:
- Being hit by a malware, ransomware or phishing attack that halts their ability to operate.
- Lack of visibility around unknown security risks.
- Threat actors stealing identities to access privileged systems and data.
- Misconfigurations leaving systems open to attack.
- Having to patch and rewrite vulnerable applications.
Across all sectors, there was a general perception that the cost of cyber attacks is outstripping investment in cyber security. 97% of IT leaders have increased cyber security investment, but many feel it’s failing to make the right impact, with 55% feeling less secure today than a year ago. 61% of IT leaders lack confidence that their level of cyber investment will be enough to reduce their overall risk.
Perhaps most worryingly, 61% of the leaders surveyed said the attack surface is ‘impossible to control’ with 57% feeling that cyber criminals will keep on winning regardless of cyber investment.
While many IT leaders are excited about the potential of transformative technologies like GenAI, 79% worry that GenAI will ‘change the game’, leaving them feeling unprepared.
Ultimately, all roads lead back to data. Yet, as the report highlights, many businesses lack the governance, processes and controls to protect this digital crown jewel. 67% of IT leaders surveyed say their inability to apply governance, policies and controls across environments means security is applied inconsistently. Moreover, 71% say a lack of access and control over data is opening them up to security risks.
In a bid to shift the balance, 53% of organizations have implemented at least some zero trust controls. However, several barriers exist that prevent businesses from applying zero trust consistently across all environments – with the top five being: cost, legacy integrations, complexity and size of organization, lack of resources, and a lack of skills and understanding.
