Two thirds of Irish business leaders expect to suffer security breach
More than two thirds (69%) of business leaders in Ireland believe their company will fall victim to a cybersecurity breach within the next 12 months.
The research, conducted by Censuswide on behalf of Auxillion and involving 100 C-Suite executives from enterprises across Ireland, found that some 67% of respondents are more worried about cyber threats over the next year than they were previously.
Moreover, 64% of executives have noticed an increase in cybersecurity attacks during the last 12 months and 52% of the organisations involved in the survey have suffered a cybersecurity breach in the past.
According to the study, 23% of business leaders cited dealing with the increasing number of cyberattacks as one of the biggest challenges to their organisation in terms of managing IT infrastructure and applications day to day.
Executives cited the five biggest cybersecurity risks as insecure user interfaces (27%), malware (23%), phishing attacks (21%), data loss (21%) and account hijacking (21%). More than one in 10 (16%) said human error was one of the biggest risks in terms of cybersecurity.
Despite the growing concerns about and frequency of attacks, 28% of Irish businesses do not have a cybersecurity strategy currently in place. Furthermore, 30% do not provide regular cybersecurity training to staff members.
Perhaps this is linked with the fact that 72% of respondents agree that their team has the ability to effectively manage cyberthreats and some 78% think their company is adequately securing operations.
Donal Sullivan, chief technology officer, Auxilion, said: “Our survey highlights a major disjoint between what business leaders believe and the actual reality of the situation. On one hand, there are major concerns about emerging threats and imminent breaches. On the other hand, there is a complacency in terms of taking action and equipping people with the means to address the problem.
“As well as locking down their company systems and data, leaders are equally concerned about protecting their employees when sharing information with others, both internally and externally. For example, any company that is reliant on email for communicating and collaborating is at risk in terms of data storage, access, retention, and governance.
“Business owners and IT managers therefore need to think about cybersecurity from two different perspectives. Firstly, they must protect computer systems and networks to prevent service disruption and data theft. Secondly, data needs to be safeguarded against fraudulent activity, unauthorised access, and intentional or unintentional leakage.
“In the age of hybrid working, that means minimising the surface area for risks and the chances of a data breach by having an adequate IT strategy, implementing the right collaboration platforms, and empowering staff through effective technologies.”
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