Technology is not enough in the fight against cybercrime, effective cyber security measures require policy and process changes as well.
That’s the takeaway from an analysis of cyber-risk spending included in the 2015 U.S. State of Cybercrime Survey recently released by PwC.
While cybersecurity budgets are on the rise, companies are mostly reliant on technology solutions to fend off digital adversaries and manage risks.
Among the 500 U.S. executives, security experts and others from public and private sectors responding to the survey, almost half (47 percent) said adding new technologies is a spending priority, higher than all other options.
Notably, only 15 percent cited redesigning processes as a priority and 33 percent prioritized adding new skills and capabilities.
When asked whether they have the expertise to address cyber risks associated with implementation of new technologies, only 26 percent said they have capable personnel on staff. Most rely on a combination of internal and external expertise to address cyber risks of new solutions.
As PwC advises:
Employee training and awareness continues to be a critical, but often neglected component of cybersecurity, PwC said. Only half (50 percent) of survey respondents said they conduct periodic security awareness and training programs, and the same number offer security training for new employees.
Some 76 percent of respondents to the survey said they are more concerned about cybersecurity threats this year than in the previous 12 months, up from 59 percent the year before.
As PwC noted, in today’s cybercrime environment, the issue is not whether a business will be compromised, but rather how successful an attack will be.
Check out Insurance Information Institute (I.I.I.) facts and statistics on cybercrime here.
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