DEVOPSdigest

Nine out of ten (89.1 percent) of information security leaders are concerned about the rise of digital threats they are experiencing across web, social and mobile channels, according to the 2018 CISO Survey, conducted by RiskIQ.

Overall, the survey revealed a coming "perfect storm" where the problem of staff shortages collides with escalating cybercrime, leaving organizations ill-equipped to manage and respond to cyber risks and threats that are accelerating in an era of digital transformation, pervasive connections and increasingly sophisticated attack strategies sponsored by nation-states and rogue actors.

More findings from the survey:

■ 67 percent of cybersecurity leaders do not have sufficient staff to handle the daily barrage of cyber alerts they receive

■ 60 percent expect digital threats to grow as their organizations increase online engagement with customers

■ The top three digital threats information security leaders fear are phishing and malware attacks on employees and customers; brand impersonation, abuse, and reputational damage; and information breaches

■ The top risk organizations face today is a lack of experienced staff to monitor and help protect networks from cybercrime

■ Currently, 37 percent of firms have engaged a managed security services provider (MSSP) to help monitor and manage cyber threats

“The RiskIQ 2018 CISO Survey illuminates a growing industry-wide problem, which is that cybercrime is growing at scale, and enterprises are already experiencing critical staff shortages. That’s one reason 1 in 3 organizations have engaged with an MSSP to combat cyber risks and threats, and we expect that number to grow as the competition for top security talent gets far more intense,” said Lou Manousos, CEO at RiskIQ.

About the Survey: 1,691 US and UK information security leaders across multiple verticals, including enterprise, consulting, government and education, provided insights into their cyber risk concerns and plans for 2018.