Over half of enterprise firms don’t have a clue if their cybersecurity solutions are working
Over half of enterprise companies investing in cybersecurity tools and solutions to protect their business interests have no idea how well they are performing, research suggests.
On Tuesday, AttackIQ and the Ponemon Institute released new research on the current state of cybersecurity strategies and investment in the enterprise realm.
The report, "The Cybersecurity Illusion: The Emperor Has No Clothes," includes responses from 577 IT and IT security practitioners working for US enterprise companies and suggests that while security budgets are increasing, awareness around cybersecurity as a whole is not.
On average, enterprise firms are spending $18.4 million every year on cybersecurity and 58 per cent are planning to increase this level of investment by up to 14 per cent over the 2019 - 2020 period.
However, those surveyed admitted that after deployment, cybersecurity solutions monitoring is thin on the ground and a total of 53 per cent have no idea how well the tools and software implemented in corporate networks are performing.
With 47 cybersecurity solution deployments reported as an average, it is no wonder that IT staff have a tough time tracking and monitoring each tool.
A lack of visibility can muddy the water when it comes to a return on investment (ROI) and, furthermore, can mask any existing security holes which remain unresolved despite the implementation of cybersecurity solutions.
Only 39 per cent of survey respondents said that their organizations are receiving full value from their investments, but this in itself could indicate that monitoring and performance metrics are an issue when it comes to ROI.
Cybersecurity and IT staff included in the research also reported an interesting issue with false reports and inadequate barriers to their networks. In total, 63 per cent said they have experienced a security control reporting a threat blocked when in reality, the tool failed to stop malicious behaviour.
"When processes and solutions like this fail, many companies respond by throwing more money at the problem," Larry Ponemon, founder and chairman of the Ponemon Institute commented. "Further security spending needs to be put on hold until enterprise IT and security leaders understand why their current investments are not able to detect and block all known adversary techniques, tactics, and procedures."
The fog surrounding cybersecurity in enterprise networks also appears to be contributing to failures in preventing data breaches. In total, 58 per cent of respondents said a lack of visibility is a reason data breaches still occur at their companies, and only 41 per cent of IT professionals believe their teams are effective in finding and plugging security holes in corporate infrastructure.
When it comes to penetration testing, less than 60 per cent of those surveyed said routine tests take place, and close to one-third have no set dates or schedules in place. In addition, less than half -- 48 per cent -- of respondents said that a security validation (CSV) platform is used to monitor the security of their networks.
"Companies are spending far too much money on cybersecurity solutions without knowing if they are effective," said Brett Galloway, AttackIQ CEO. "More than half of the experts surveyed admit they are in the dark about how well the technologies they have are working and if they're truly effective, which is alarming considering companies are relying on these technologies to protect sensitive information including customer data."
source zdnet
Industry: Cyber Security
Latest Jobs
-
- Public Sector Cyber Security Sales | UK
- England
- N/A
-
Public Sector Cyber Security Sales | UK UK | Remote / Hybrid A cyber security provider is seeking a Public Sector Sales professional to drive growth across UK government and public sector organisations. Must have current Cyber Security sales experience. Responsibilities Generate new business selling cyber security solutions into UK public sector Build relationships with CIO, CISO and senior technology stakeholders Manage the full sales cycle from opportunity to contract close Develop pipeline across central government, local government and public sector bodies Support bids, tenders and framework opportunities Experience Proven cyber security sales experience in the UK Track record selling into public sector organisations Familiarity with CCS, G Cloud or other government frameworks Strong stakeholder engagement and deal management skills Location UK based Security Requirements Eligible to obtain UK Security Clearance
-
- Security Architect | MoD - Security Cleared. OUTSIDE IR35 | Hampshire
- N/A
- Outside IR35
-
Security Architect | MOD | Security Cleared | Outside IR35 | Hampshire Commutable The successful candidate must be willing to undergo DV Clearance, ideally already holding active clearance. You will produce high and low level security architecture documentation, guiding and validating designs for systems deployed within sensitive environments. The role requires providing specialist security input into solution design, service transition and change initiatives, working closely with engineering, operations, client and third party stakeholders. You must have current hands on architectural experience, including VMware secure platform design and virtualisation architecture, alongside AWS expertise. This is an outside IR35 contract- 6 month rolling. Part of a longer term MoD project
-
- Active Directory | RBA engineer | UK Remote | SC Clearable
- United Kingdom
- N/A
-
Technical Active Directory (AD) and RBA specialist needed to play a key part in complex, enterprise scale Active Directory and access transformation programmes. You will work alongside senior team, helping reshape access models, modernise legacy directory structures and strengthen security posture across secure environments. This is hands on delivery within high impact projects where your work directly improves access control, compliance and operational resilience. Active UK Security Clearance required. This is a remote role with client travel. Implementation of Role Based Access Control across large AD estates Restructuring complex permission models, security groups and delegated access Supporting domain controller upgrades and core directory improvements Applying security hardening standards and remediating audit findings Enhancing authentication, policy and access governance frameworks Troubleshooting and resolving technical AD challenges within live environments Producing robust technical documentation and identifying project risks You must have the following technical experience Enterprise Active Directory administration Role Based Access and permission remediation OU design and governance Group Policy management Security group delegation models DNS and DHCP services Kerberos authentication / NTLM PowerShell scripting and automation Azure AD | Entra ID Hybrid identity environments Identity Governance PAM
-
- Identity and Access Management Consultant (Saviynt & Microsoft Entra) | UK
- United Kingdom
- N/A
-
Role summary Technical IAM consultant delivering identity governance and cloud identity solutions to enterprise clients. What you will do Implement / Configure / Deploy Saviynt IGA / Microsoft Entra solutions: Lead technical workshops, gather requirements and translate into solution designs. Troubleshoot complex issues, support testing and deployments. Produce technical artefacts and configuration guides. Key skills Hands-on Saviynt IGA experience (workflow, connectors, access governance). Strong practical knowledge of Microsoft Entra ID / Azure AD identity and access controls. Understanding of identity protocols (SAML, OAuth, OpenID Connect) and hybrid identity. Experience with APIs / REST for integrations and automation. What we are looking for Proven delivery experience in IAM / IGA projects, preferably in consulting. Confident communicator with client-facing delivery exposure.