According to a new survey from Vanson Bourne for VMware, more than quarter of UK IT decision makers and office workers (29% for each) believe the CEO should be held accountable for a significant data breach.
When asked who should be most aware of the necessary actions to take following a significant data breach, 38% of office workers and 22% of ITDMs said the board, whilst over half (53%) of office workers and 40% of ITDMs believe it should be the CEO.
The survey found that in the UK, serious cyberattacks are a reality of doing business for many large organisations, with almost quarter (24%) expecting to be hit in the next 90 days. The research suggests the fall-out from these cyberattacks no longer lies solely with IT, but is becoming part of a wider business discussion. However, additional research for VMware by the Economist Intelligence Unit earlier this year found that just 5% of UK corporate leaders consider cybersecurity a priority for their business. As cyberattacks intensify and become more damaging for organisations, including the potential loss of intellectual property, competitive positioning, and customer data, organisations say they need to see more ownership and support from the C-suite and the board.
“The issue around accountability is symptomatic of the underlying challenge faced as organisations seek to push boundaries, transform and differentiate, as well as secure the business against ever-changing threats”, said Joe Baguley, CTO, VMware, EMEA. “Today’s most successful organisations can move and respond at speed as well as safeguard their brand and customer trust. With applications and user data on more devices in more locations than ever before, these companies have moved beyond the traditional IT security approach which may not protect the digital businesses of today.”
Some of the greatest vulnerabilities to an organisation’s security stem from within, the survey found, with the careless and those untrained in cybersecurity considered the greatest security challenge, as cited by more than half (55%) of ITDMs. The research also reveals the steps employees are willing to take to increase productivity — more than a quarter (26 per cent) use their personal device to access corporate data and almost a fifth (16%) would risk being in breach of the organisation’s security to carry out their job effectively.
“Security is not just about technology. As the research shows, the decisions and behaviours of people will impact the integrity of a business,” said Baguley. “However, this can’t be about lock-down or creating a culture of fear. Smart organisations are enabling, not restricting, their employees — allowing them to thrive, adapt processes and transform operations to succeed.
“Forward thinking organisations understand that the reactive security of today is no longer doing its job of protecting applications and data,” said Baguley. “By taking a software-defined approach to IT that ensures security is architectured-in to everything, these businesses have gained the flexibility required to both secure and succeed as a digital business.”
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