Lack of Security Awareness Playing a Key Role in Ransomware Attacks

The CyberEdge Group released its fourth annual Cyberthreat Defense Report earlier this month, and it should come as no surprise that ransomware was a central topic of the study. It should also come as no surprise that the news isn’t very good.

“If the definition of insanity is doing the same thing repeatedly and expecting a different result, then perhaps, as an industry, we’re going insane,” said Steve Piper, CEO of CyberEdge Group. “Each year, we invest more in security, yet frequency and severity of data breaches rise."

And I agree, spending more on tech is not the answer to the problem.  Instead, organizations need to focus on strong leadership of their cybersecurity program through conventional or virtual methods.

The report compiles a survey of 1,100 IT security professionals representing 15 countries and 19 industries, all from organizations 500 employees or larger. Key insights from this year’s report include:

• 79% of networks were breached,
  compared to 62% three years ago
• 61% compromised by ransomware, but only a third paid a ransom
• 89% experienced a shortfall of available IT security talent
• 75% have adequately invested in cyber insurance
• 76% of IT security budgets are rising
• Malware and spear-phishing are causing the most headaches
• Low security awareness among employees is the greatest inhibitor 

Click below to get the report:

https://cyber-edge.com/cdr/