U.S. Companies Lead the Pack in Cyber Security
U.S. companies are more concerned with cyber security and are greater prepared to deal with a threat than their European and global counterparts a new study reveals.
The research commissioned by BT Security surveyed 500 IT decision makers in medium- to large-sized finance, pharmaceutical, retail and government organizations across seven countries — UK, France, Germany, U.S., Brazil, Hong Kong and Singapore. The survey revealed that U.S.-based industry is the leader in cyber security preparedness and training.
Forty-one percent of U.S. IT decision makers consider cyber security a major priority, compared to just 20% in Europe and 30% globally the survey reports.
In the U.S., 90% of organizations are able to measure the return on investment of cyber security measures, compared to just over half in Europe (58%). Similarly, 86% of U.S. directors and senior decision makers say they are given IT security training, compared to just 44% in Europe.
The difference in levels of preparedness correlates to the attitudes toward threats. In the U.S., 85% of IT decision makers consider non-malicious insider threats as a severe risk, compared to just 56% in Europe and 65% globally.
When it comes to malicious insider threats 79% of the U.S. IT decision makers consider it a severe risk compared to 53% globally. Threats from the outside are a major concern of 77% of the U.S. executives surveyed, in contrast to the 48% in Europe and the 54% globally.
"The research provides a fascinating insight into the changing threat landscape and the challenge this poses for organizations globally," Mark Hughes, CEO of BT Security said. "U.S. businesses should be celebrated for putting cyber security on the front foot. The risks to business are moving too fast for a purely reactive security approach to be successful. Nor should cyber security be seen as an issue for the IT department alone."
In response to emerging threats, 75% of IT decision makers globally say they would like to overhaul their infrastructure and design them with security features from the ground up, while 74% would like to train all staff in cyber security best practice.
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The research commissioned by BT Security surveyed 500 IT decision makers in medium- to large-sized finance, pharmaceutical, retail and government organizations across seven countries — UK, France, Germany, U.S., Brazil, Hong Kong and Singapore. The survey revealed that U.S.-based industry is the leader in cyber security preparedness and training.
Forty-one percent of U.S. IT decision makers consider cyber security a major priority, compared to just 20% in Europe and 30% globally the survey reports.
In the U.S., 90% of organizations are able to measure the return on investment of cyber security measures, compared to just over half in Europe (58%). Similarly, 86% of U.S. directors and senior decision makers say they are given IT security training, compared to just 44% in Europe.
The difference in levels of preparedness correlates to the attitudes toward threats. In the U.S., 85% of IT decision makers consider non-malicious insider threats as a severe risk, compared to just 56% in Europe and 65% globally.
When it comes to malicious insider threats 79% of the U.S. IT decision makers consider it a severe risk compared to 53% globally. Threats from the outside are a major concern of 77% of the U.S. executives surveyed, in contrast to the 48% in Europe and the 54% globally.
"The research provides a fascinating insight into the changing threat landscape and the challenge this poses for organizations globally," Mark Hughes, CEO of BT Security said. "U.S. businesses should be celebrated for putting cyber security on the front foot. The risks to business are moving too fast for a purely reactive security approach to be successful. Nor should cyber security be seen as an issue for the IT department alone."
In response to emerging threats, 75% of IT decision makers globally say they would like to overhaul their infrastructure and design them with security features from the ground up, while 74% would like to train all staff in cyber security best practice.
For related content:
How to Offer an Open Invitation to Hackers: The Threat of Aging Retail IT Systems
Target HVAC Systems Linked to Security Faux Pas
Securing Customer Accounts Online: The 5 Best and Worst Retailers