SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--A survey of over 200 senior IT staff working for US organizations, conducted by IDG Connect on behalf of Malwarebytes, highlights the continual disruption that cyberattacks cause, despite high levels of investment in cybersecurity hardware and software.
Business Impact from Attacks
Between 80 and 90 percent have been impacted by either a worm or virus, at least one incident of unauthorized system access by internal staff, or an advanced persistent threat (APT) during the last 12 months, while phishing affected 79 percent and ransomware 64 percent.
These attacks proliferate despite the extensive cybersecurity defenses already in place - 87 percent have already deployed firewalls for example, and 81 percent anti-virus/malware software. Web/email filtering platforms (62 percent), endpoint protection solutions (61 percent), identity access management tools (58 percent) and intrusion detection/prevention systems (57 percent) are also often used in tandem but fail to stop every attack.
IT departments spend long hours managing these defenses and dealing with the cybersecurity incidents which affect them. Between 64 and 65 percent spend more than 10 hours a week cleaning applications and systems of malware and viruses and restoring lost or corrupted data from backups. The cyber security management overhead involved can also be taxing – between 69 and 71 percent spend more than 10 hours a week deploying security patches and upgrades and identifying networking, application and system vulnerabilities before they are exploited.
Yet given a binary choice of investment, more organizations in the US will spend money on updating and patching existing applications, hardware and services rather than bringing in additional systems, a course of action that risks overlooking new, proactive approaches like threat hunting which may provide more effective levels of cyber security protection.
Those taking part in the survey are painfully aware of the fallout associated with successful cyberattacks – 69 percent felt system downtime and lost productivity was one of the top three most serious consequences, with 59 percent also fearing a loss of confidence amongst customers and business partners.
To view the full report go to: http://www.idgconnect.com/view_abstract/42095/cybersecurity-needs-attention?source=connect
“It has become abundantly clear that current cybersecurity defense strategies aren’t working,” said Matthew Smith, Managing Director of IDG Connect. “Organizations are using sticking plasters rather than addressing their fundamental weaknesses.”
“The IDG Connect research is compelling since it captures the security challenges businesses are continually facing,” says Dana Torgersen, Senior Product Marketing Manager with Malwarebytes. “Businesses deployed multiple cybersecurity defenses (e.g., firewalls, AV, VPNs, IPS) but still suffered cyberattacks from worms/viruses, APTs, phishing, ransomware and zero-day exploits which caused system downtime, loss of customer confidence, and theft of customer data. With their necks on the line, IT managers (72%) and CISOs (60%) will be responsible for upgrading their current security systems or investing in additional security solutions to reduce their exposure to evolving threats.”
About the survey
The data points above form the basis of a new report, conducted on behalf of Malwarebytes by IDG Connect, called Cyber Security Needs Attention: Time and money spent on protection organizations from cyberattacks must be smartly spent. IDG Connect surveyed over 200 senior decision makers working at large and small US organizations, including CIOs, CTOs, CISOs, operating within a range of different vertical industry sectors.
About Malwarebytes
Malwarebytes is the next-gen cybersecurity company that millions worldwide trust. Malwarebytes proactively protects people and businesses against dangerous threats such as malware, ransomware, and exploits that escape detection by traditional antivirus solutions. The company’s flagship product combines advanced heuristic threat detection with signature-less technologies to detect and stop a cyberattack before damage occurs. More than 10,000 businesses worldwide use, trust, and recommend Malwarebytes. Founded in 2008, the company is headquartered in California, with offices in Europe and Asia, and a global team of threat researchers and security experts. For more information, please visit us at http://www.malwarebytes.com/.
Malwarebytes founder and CEO Marcin Kleczynski started the company to create the best disinfection and protection solutions to combat the world’s most harmful Internet threats. Marcin was recently named “CEO of the Year” in the Global Excellence awards and has been named to the Forbes 30 Under 30 Rising Stars of Enterprise Technology list and the Silicon Valley Business Journal’s 40 Under 40 award, adding those to an Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award.
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About IDG Connect
IDG Connect is the demand generation division of International Data Group (IDG), one of the world’s largest technology media companies. Established in 2006, it utilizes access to 44 million business decision makers’ details to unite technology marketers with relevant targets from any country in the world. Committed to engaging a disparate global IT audience with truly localized messaging, IDG Connect also publishes market specific thought leadership papers on behalf of its clients, and produces research for B2B marketers worldwide.
