Gain valuable insights into the state of cybersecurity with Fortra's 2024 State of Cybersecurity Survey. Discover the top concerns, initiatives, and challenges faced by cybersecurity professionals.
Understanding the Top Cybersecurity Risks and Challenges
( Credit to: Tripwire )
In today's digital landscape, organizations worldwide face numerous cybersecurity risks. Fortra's 2024 State of Cybersecurity Survey provides key insights into the top concerns among cybersecurity professionals. Phishing and smishing, malware and ransomware, and accidental data loss and data leakage were identified as the top three concerns by 81%, 76%, and 63% of respondents, respectively.
Organizations are prioritizing cybersecurity initiatives to mitigate these risks. The survey revealed that 74% of respondents are focusing on limiting outsider threats like phishing and ransomware, while 73% are working towards identifying and closing security gaps. Additionally, 66% of organizations are aiming to improve security culture and awareness. However, budget limitations, constantly changing threats, and a lack of security knowledge and skills were highlighted as the main challenges faced in implementing these initiatives.
The Importance of Security Initiatives and Compliance
Implementing security initiatives is crucial for organizations to enhance their security posture. However, the survey found that only 23% of respondents had already started implementing the highly recommended security initiative of zero trust. While 30% were in the process of developing a roadmap for zero trust with security providers, 25% cited a lack of resources, and 22% mentioned operational complexities as reasons for not being ready to adopt zero trust.
Compliance with regulations is another significant security initiative. Respondents mentioned GDPR, PCI-DSS, and HIPAA as the most common compliance regulations. Encouragingly, 63% of respondents expressed confidence in their understanding of compliance requirements and were on track to achieve compliance. However, 28% knew what was needed but lacked clarity on how to achieve compliance.
Navigating the Challenges of Cloud Security
The adoption of cloud solutions presents unique security challenges for organizations. While 64% of respondents reported having a hybrid environment combining cloud and on-premises solutions, 19% were cloud-first, 12% were cloud-only, and only 6% had no plans to move to the cloud. The primary reason cited by the latter group was security concerns. Organizations must strike a balance between reaping the benefits of cloud technologies and ensuring robust security measures are in place.
Optimizing Cybersecurity Tools and Vendor Management
Effectively managing cybersecurity tools and vendors is crucial for organizations. The survey revealed that 21% of respondents were very confident, 55% were confident, 21% were somewhat confident, and 4% were not confident in their knowledge of their security tools. To streamline operations, 45% of respondents had already started consolidating vendors, driven by improved security posture, reduced operational management, cost savings, and time savings.
Addressing the Staffing Challenge and Leveraging Managed Services
The shortage of cybersecurity professionals poses a challenge for many organizations. To mitigate this, 67% of respondents were focused on improving the skills of their existing staff, while 33% were leveraging managed security services. When it comes to managed services, respondents sought assistance with email security and anti-phishing, vulnerability management, data protection, and compliance.
Conclusion
Fortra's 2024 State of Cybersecurity Survey provides valuable insights into the top concerns, initiatives, and challenges faced by cybersecurity professionals. By understanding these key takeaways, organizations can better prepare themselves to tackle emerging threats and ensure robust security measures are in place.
For more detailed survey results and further insights into the state of cybersecurity, you can view the full guide here.
