Survey reveals organizations' reactive approach to cybersecurity

TechRepublic reports a WithSecure study conducted by Forrester Consulting found that while 83% of more than 400 global cybersecurity and IT decision-makers surveyed expressed interest in, plan to adopt, or increase adoption of outcome-based security solutions and services, 60% said their organizations have a reactive and not a proactive approach to cybersecurity problems. Researchers also found only 20% of respondents reported having complete alignment between cybersecurity priorities and business outcomes in their organizations, while 50% have difficulty measuring cybersecurity value and articulating security's contribution to business outcomes. When asked about the biggest security challenges, respondents cited visibility into cyber risks, responding quickly and effectively, and finding the required resources and skills. Meanwhile, the surveyed executives mentioned several challenges to extracting useful metrics that align security priorities with business outcomes, including difficulties in measuring cybersecurity value; challenges in overcoming a paradox and in translating cybersecurity metrics; and inability to capture consistent and meaningful data.