The 2020 IDG study sponsored by Airlock on cyber security shows that protection from external threats and the security of endpoints are of key importance for companies. One reliable approach towards a solution is integrated IT security.
The study by IDG market researchers was presented at it-sa 365, providing insights on the top priorities and the allocation of security budgets in 2021. The requirements on IT security in companies is constantly rising as a result of external threats, technological developments and digital transformation, which is affecting more and more companies. Companies should therefore count on integrated solutions that can do both: ensure maximum security and enable agile development processes.
The study conducted in July 2020 is based on 655 interviews with security experts.
Key Findings
Cyber attacks and cyber crime are seen as the greatest risk to business
41 percent of the companies surveyed consider cyber threats to be particularly dangerous. By contrast, even now only 29 percent view pandemics as the greatest risk to business, while new technologies were mentioned by just 12 percent. Only around 20 percent of respondents see threats by insiders as particularly great.
Hackers and endpoints pose challenges
Working from home and mobile work were named as a challenge by just 11 percent, while external threats were mentioned by 35 percent and end device risks by 32 percent. Moreover, compliance requirements like data protection or shadow IT were even stated far less frequently than external attackers, end devices, budgets and competences in security.
Almost 40 percent of small companies have suffered damages from cyber attacks
54 and 53 percent of medium-sized and large companies respectively likewise had to deal with economic damages as a result of cyber attacks. The extent of the economic damage also depends on the size of the company. The smaller a company is, the more probable it is that the damage is limited. However, smaller companies often have tighter budgets to protect themselves against attacks.
Three out of four companies are increasing their security budget in 2021
15 percent of surveyed companies are planning to increase their security budget significantly for 2021. 25 percent expect an increase and 36 percent a slight increase. These companies already have defined plans for where they wish to make security investments. However, their plans do not always measure up to the security challenges mentioned. In some instances, the technical basis is also missing for the planned new measures.
Zero trust is a topic for more than 90 percent of companies
The study shows that zero trust has firmly established itself in cyber security and will soon become part of everyday business. 38 percent of surveyed companies already use a zero-trust model, 41 percent are currently implementing such a model and a further 14 percent are planning to introduce zero trust.
Cyber Security Study
You can read all the study results, extensive analyses and fascinating insights in the in-depth version of the study.
You can also find an interview with Roman Hugelsdorfer, Managing Director of Application Security at Ergon Informatik AG, on the topic of “integrated solutions instead of disconnected solutions”.
More and more applications, APIs, micro services and identities are also becoming exposed to the Internet beyond the confines of corporate IT infrastructure. Data, identities, applications and APIs are becoming increasingly exposed – for employees, partners and customers alike. Security solutions therefore need to address this issue. Such solutions include integrated security platforms that combine and centrally manage the various components.
The trend towards the consolidation of security architectures poses a particular challenge for companies in 2021. Closer collaboration already needs to start at the technical level in order for companies to prepare themselves against modern attacks.
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