Regardless of industry or region, concern about cybersecurity remains high, with the majority of those surveyed expressing significant concern about the issue. Almost 70% said their organisation was either very or extremely concerned about cybersecurity, with only a tiny percentage of respondents not expressing any concern at all.

However, the level of concern varies significantly depending on the role of the respondent. While all groups expressed concern overall, greater concern was expressed by those in technical positions compared with those in executive-level roles.

While there are a host of different issues that a cybersecurity breach poses, for most companies the greatest concern is overwhelmingly the exposure or theft of confidential or high-value data. However, many companies are also concerned about the operational impact of an attack, both in terms of immediate productivity and long-term damage to reputation and sales.

60% Confidentia l or high value data theft/expo sure

18% Productivity losses during an attack

10% Reputation damage

5% Loss of  s ales

4% O ther

3%​​​​​​​  Non-compliance

In light of these concerns, many companies have taken greater steps to tackle the issue, with more than half establishing a specific strategy to tackle cybersecurity, the majority having dedicated IT or cybersecurity personnel and around a third increasing spending to support their response over the last year.

54% Have a cybersecurity strategy

23%  Do  n’t have a cybersecurity strategy​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​ 

23% Don't know

62% Has dedicated IT/cybersecurity staff

29%  Doesn’ t have dedicated IT/cybersecurity staff​​​​​​​​​​​​​​ 

9% Don't know

41% Spending has increased

55%  Spending has  remained largely unchanged​​​​​​​ 

4% Spending has decreased

In general those surveyed also felt that their organisations had done at least a moderately good job of prioritising cybersecurity concerns from the point of view of both IT and the wider business, but there was variation in strength of opinion by role. While executives were most likely to be very positive about their company’s cybersecurity priorities, those in technical positions tended to be more hesitant in their support. By contrast, individuals in other support roles tended to be the most critical. 

There is variation, too, in sentiment by country. While concern is high across the globe, so  me regions consider cybersecurity to be a greater cause for concern than others.