Why CXOs Need a Better Cyber-security Education
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Why CXOs Need a Better Cyber-security Education
Despite growing threats and a shortage of IT pros with security skills, only one-fourth of CXOs see recruiting and retaining security pros as a top priority. -
More Frequent Attacks
More than 60% of CXOs said their companies have experienced at least one attack in the last 12 months; 11% were attacked between four and 10 times, and 5% experienced more than 10 attacks. -
Lack of Knowledge
35% of CXOs do not know or are not sure what legally constitutes a data breach in their state. -
Security Briefings
49% of CXOs are individually briefed on cyber-security issues weekly, 30% receive monthly updates, and 9% of CXOs are never briefed. -
Risks to SMBs
However, in the case of small companies, 17% of CXOs at companies with less than $5 million in revenue and 20% at companies with fewer than 50 employees are never briefed on cyber-security issues. -
IT Spending
27% of companies spend between 11% and 15% of their budget on IT, 15% of companies spend between 16% and 20%, while 17% spend more than 20% on IT. Additionally, 11% of companies with revenue of less than $5 million spend less than 1% of their budget on IT. -
Training Budgets
17% of companies spend between 7% and 10% of their budgets on IT security and security awareness training, 17% spend between 11% and 15%, 13% spend between 16% and 20%, and 9% spend more than 20%. -
Security Readiness
45% of CXOs believe their organizations are prepared for a cyber-attack, and 41% think they could be more prepared. What's more, 3% said their organizations are not prepared at all, but this increases to 8% at companies with fewer than 50 employees, while 10% said they aren't sure. -
No Respect
25% of CXOs believe the recruitment and retention of skilled professionals is a critical cyber-security issue. It ranks sixth out of seven top priorities, just above shifting regulatory landscape. -
Training Sessions
29% of CXOs would be interested in monthly training, 27% would be interested in quarterly training and 24 percent in weekly training. Only 2% said they would never be interested. -
CXOs' Security Relationships
24% of CXOs said they are in contact once per day with their firms' chief information security officers; 27% said they are in contact once a day with the chief security officer; and 29% were in contact once a day with the CIOs. Meanwhile, 13% of CXOs said they are never in contact with the CISO or CSO, and 10% said they never have contact with the CIO.
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Why Metrics Matter to the Channel There are big gaps in cyber-security education and training for C-level executives and board members responsible for protecting their companies from security breaches and attacks, according to a survey conducted by CyberVista and Zogby Analytics. This can lead to big challenges in how an organization addresses IT security issues. For example, despite growing cyber-threats and a shortage of IT pros with security skills, the online survey of 300 CXOs finds that only one-fourth believe recruiting and retaining security pros is a top priority. "As with all other corporate risks, board members and executives ultimately bear responsibility for cyber-security issues, and must take steps to create a culture of security that prioritizes addressing cyber-risks across their entire organization," Amjed Saffarini, CEO of cyber-security training firm CyberVista, said in a statement. "Increasing cyber-security training and education among leadership is critical to reducing vulnerabilities and ensuring sound business judgments." Here are key findings that demonstrate the need for security providers to help educate executives and board members on cyber-risks, particularly at smaller companies.