New Report Finds Insider Corporate Data Theft and Malware Infections among Biggest Threat to Digital Business in 2016
June 27 2016 - 7:59AM
Business Wire
Lack of funding for security talent and
training identified as a critical security gap making it harder to
keep attackers at bay
Insider data theft and malware attacks top the list of the most
significant concerns for enterprise security executives, a new
report from Accenture and HfS Research reveals. Of those surveyed,
a majority (69 percent) of respondents experienced an attempted or
successful theft or corruption of data by insiders during the prior
12 months, with media and technology organizations reporting the
highest rate (77 percent). This insider risk will continue to be an
issue, with security professionals’ concerns over insider theft of
corporate information alone rising by nearly two-thirds over the
coming 12 to 18 months. Additionally, the research shows that a
budget shortage for hiring cybersecurity talent and well-trained
employees is hindering the ability of organizations to properly
defend themselves against these attacks.
This Smart News Release features multimedia.
View the full release here:
http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160627005437/en/
Graphic: Business Wire
The survey, “The State of Cybersecurity and Digital Trust 2016”,
was conducted by HfS Research on behalf of Accenture (NYSE:ACN).
More than 200 C-level security executives and other IT
professionals were polled across a range of geographies and
vertical industry sectors. The survey examined the current and
future state of cybersecurity within the enterprise and the
recommended steps to enable digital trust throughout the extended
ecosystem. The findings indicate that there are significant gaps
between talent supply and demand, a disconnect between security
teams and management expectations, and considerable disparity
between budget needs and actual budget realities.
“Our research paints a sobering picture. Security leaders
believe threats are not going away, in fact they expect them to
increase and hinder their ability to safeguard critical data and
establish digital trust,” said Kelly Bissell, senior managing
director, Accenture Security. “At the same time, while
organizations want to invest in advanced cyber technologies, they
simply don’t have enough budget to recruit or train skilled people
to use that technology effectively. To better manage this security
problem, businesses will need to work in tandem with the extended
enterprise ecosystem – business units, partners, providers and end
users – to create an environment of digital trust.”
Despite having advanced technology solutions, nearly half of all
respondents (48 percent) indicate they are either strongly or
critically concerned about insider data theft and malware
infections (42 percent) in the next 12 to 18 months. When asked
about current funding and staffing levels some 42 percent of
respondents said they need more budget for hiring cybersecurity
professionals and for training. More than half (54 percent) of
respondents also indicated that their current employees are
underprepared to prevent security breaches and the numbers are only
slightly better when it comes to detecting (47 percent) and
responding (45 percent) to incidents.
The report identified five significant gaps disrupting the
ability of enterprises to effectively prevent or mitigate
well-organized and targeted cyber attacks, including:
- Talent: Thirty-one percent list
either lack of training or staffing budget as their single biggest
inhibitor to combating attacks.
- Technology: Firewalls and
encryption top the list of the most important technologies to
combat cyber threats, but the largest increase in deployments
anticipated in the next 12 to 18 months are in the areas of
cognitive computing and AI (31 percent) and data anonymization
(25).
- Parity: An enterprise is only as
secure as its least secure partner, yet only 35-57 percent of all
enterprises said they assess ecosystem partners for cyber integrity
and preparedness, with BPO partners being the least vetted and
credit partners being the most vetted.
- Budget: Seventy percent cite a
lack of, or inadequate, funding for either cybersecurity technology
or security talent, including training.
- Management: While 54 percent of
respondents agree or strongly agree that cybersecurity is an
enabler of digital trust for consumers, 36 percent believe that
their executive management considers cybersecurity an unnecessary
cost.
“While the gaps we identified can be overcome, they do
collectively underscore the need for an inherently different
approach, one that includes more robust risk management measures
and the development of digital trust,” said Fred McClimans,
research vice president, Digital Trust and Cybersecurity, HfS
Research. “There is an important opportunity to address these gaps
by rethinking how digital trust and security can be holistically
woven into the enterprise fabric through the integration of
automation and AI solutions as well as through business
partnerships and processes.”
Methodology
HfS Research and Accenture conducted a combined quantitative and
interview survey of 208 enterprise security professionals in seven
industries and across a range of different verticals between March
and May 2016. Over two thirds of all respondents (68 percent) were
C-level executives with security oversight at their organizations.
Twenty-nine percent of respondents were from North America, while
30 percent were from EMEA, 30 percent were from APAC and 11 percent
from Latin America. For more information visit
www.accenture.com/cybersecurity2016.
About Accenture
Accenture is a leading global professional services company,
providing a broad range of services and solutions in strategy,
consulting, digital, technology and operations. Combining unmatched
experience and specialized skills across more than 40 industries
and all business functions – underpinned by the world’s largest
delivery network – Accenture works at the intersection of business
and technology to help clients improve their performance and create
sustainable value for their stakeholders. With more than 375,000
people serving clients in more than 120 countries, Accenture drives
innovation to improve the way the world works and lives. Visit us
at www.accenture.com.
View source
version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160627005437/en/
AccentureAlison Geib,
+1-703-947-4404alison.geib@accenture.comorHfS ResearchThom Erbé,
+31-610-007-351thom.erbe@hfsresearch.com
Accenture (NYSE:ACN)
Historical Stock Chart
From Mar 2024 to Apr 2024
Accenture (NYSE:ACN)
Historical Stock Chart
From Apr 2023 to Apr 2024