Security News > 2023 > May > CISOs’ confidence in post-pandemic security landscape fades

While organizations have largely overcome the disruptions of the last two years, the effects of the Great Resignation and employee turnover continue to linger, exacerbated by the recent wave of mass layoffs-It's interesting to see that 73% of CISOs believe they have adequate data protection in place yet 74% of UK security leaders had to deal with the loss of sensitive information in the past 12 months.

The report discusses global trends and regional differences around three central themes: the threats and risks CISOs face daily; the impact of employees on organizations' cyber preparedness; and the defences CISOs are building, especially as the economic downturn puts pressure on security budgets.

"Our 2023 Voice of the CISO report reveals that amidst the rising difficulties of protecting their people and defending data, CISOs are being tested at a personal level with challenges around higher expectations, burnout, and uncertainty about personal liability. The improving relationship between security leaders and board members also gives us hope, and this partnership will enable organizations to face the new challenges with focus and certainty," added Rose.

UK CISOs have returned to the elevated concerns they experienced early in the pandemic and feel more unprepared than last year: 84% of UK CISOs feel at risk of experiencing a material cyber attack in the next 12 months, compared to 60% last year and 81% in 2021.

Supply chain risk is a recurring priority: 79% of UK CISOs say they have adequate controls in place to mitigate supply chain risk, a slight increase from last year's 73%. While these protections may feel adequate for now, going forward, CISOs may feel more strapped for resources-73% say the shaky economy has negatively impacted their cybersecurity budget.

"If recent devastating attacks are any indication, CISOs have an even tougher road ahead, especially given the precarious security budgets and new job pressures. Now that they have returned to elevated levels of concern, CISOs must ensure they focus on the right priorities to move their organizations toward cyber resilience."

News URL

https://www.helpnetsecurity.com/2023/05/12/cisos-elevated-cyber-threat-concerns/