Meatbag mishaps more menacing than malware? CISOs think so

Chief accusation information officers (or CISOs) spot quality correction arsenic nan astir important consequence to information protection compared to different UK committee directors.

Meatbag errors are keeping CISOs awake astatine night, according to Proofpoint, which has conscionable released a "Cybersecurity: The 2023 Board Perspective" report. The statement told The Reg that 78 percent had tapped it arsenic nan astir important risk. Only 56 percent of UK committee board felt nan aforesaid way, said nan analysts.

However, while astir three-quarters (73 percent) of CISOs were assured successful their organization's expertise to protect data, conscionable complete half (56 percent) of board agreed.

Overall, nan assurance of UK committee members has improved twelvemonth complete year, according to information included successful nan report. In 2022, much than three-quarters (76 percent) reckoned their statement was astatine consequence of a cyber-attack. By 2023, little than half (44 percent) were arsenic worried. Global committee members, however, remained jittery – researchers recovered 73 percent felt astatine consequence of cyber-attack.

The assurance of UK boards was successful marked opposition to different countries. In 2022, 50 percent of committee members successful Canada felt astatine consequence of a cyber-attack. The fig roseate to 95 percent successful 2023. The world mean for nan committee was 73 percent successful 2023.

Other gaps successful cognition included worries astir individual liability – a whopping 79 percent of UK CISOs were concerned astir their liability successful nan arena of a cybersecurity incident, while nan committee was much blasé; conscionable complete half (54 percent) of board expressed akin concern.

There were besides differences successful wherever UK CISOs and committee members felt nan biggest risks lay. Board members listed malware, unreality relationship compromise, and ransomware arsenic nan biggest worries. CISO concerns were email fraud, insider threats, and phishing. CISOs besides listed unreality relationship compromise, indicating nan 2 whitethorn not beryllium truthful acold apart.

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Finally, nan specter of AI was recovered to beryllium haunting UK boards arsenic 41 percent of board viewed emerging exertion specified arsenic ChatGPT arsenic a information risk.

Researchers surveyed 659 committee members from 12 countries – nan US, Canada, nan UK, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Australia, Singapore, Japan, Brazil, and Mexico. While globally it was noted that CISOs and committee members were comparatively aligned, nan UK still has activity to do.

Ryan Kalember, executive vice president of cybersecurity strategy astatine Proofpoint, said: "Growing moreover stronger board-CISO relationships – peculiarly successful nan UK, wherever our information shows nan request for important betterment successful this area – will beryllium instrumental successful nan months up for board and information leaders."

Kalember is correct. The study showed a marked diminution successful relationship betwixt nan committee and cybersecurity activity successful nan UK, dropping from 55 percent of board saying they had regular chats successful 2022 to 43 percent successful 2023.

Andrew Rose, Resident CISO, EMEA astatine Proofpoint, said: "UK committee members should support successful mind that nan consequence of worldly cyber-attacks are still very existent and threats will proceed to evolve."

Rose went connected to stress nan value of board-CISO partnerships and warned against complacency. He said: "Boards must proceed to put heavy successful improving preparedness and organisational resilience." ®