Unprepared Businesses Learn Cybersecurity Lessons The Hard Way

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In response to increasing reports of damaging #data breaches in both the public and private sector, many businesses are implementing #cyber strategies that leave them feeling confident about their readiness to respond to a cyber incident. But businesses without a cyber plan are learning lessons the hard way.

TrainACE, an information technology (IT) and cybersecurity training organization, recently conducted a survey of 200 IT professionals to evaluate the cyber readiness of their businesses. The survey discovered that of the respondents that experienced a hack or breach, nearly 20 percent did not have a cyber incident plan in place, but are now considering implementing one.

“All companies have different reasons and needs when it comes to cyber security, but it’s troublesome to learn that many still don’t have the basics in place, such as a cyber incident plan or set of updates guidelines. Of course, these are generally the companies that learn the hard way after a hack or data breach,” said TrainACE CEO and President, Ralph P. Sita, Jr.

Of the 59 percent of respondents who indicated that they do have a cyber incident plan in place, their chief concerns are defending against phishing and social engineering attacks as well as vulnerabilities in Web-facing applications.

iHLS – Israel Homeland Security

Moreover, although more than half of the respondents indicated that their business had not been hacked or experienced a data breach in the last twelve months, 48 percent of respondents said the insider threat from former or current employees is the greatest cybersecurity risk to their companies.

Similarly, as reported by Homeland Security Today, a recent survey by Unisys and the Ponemon Institute found that only 28 percent of the respondents ranked security as one of the top five strategic priorities for their organization.

“The findings of the survey are startling, given that these industries form the backbone of the global economy and cannot afford a disruption,” said Dr. Larry Ponemon, chairman and founder of the Ponemon Institute.