Macy’s, Adidas, Sears Holding Corp. and Under Armour are just a few of the industry giants who have faced data hacks and security breaches this year. The takeaway is obvious: Brands and retailers need to upgrade their cybersecurity efforts.
But it might take a while. A survey by research and advisory firm Gartner Inc. revealed that just 65 percent of organizations boast a cybersecurity expert. The number is alarming considering that the company said 95 percent of CIOs anticipate relevant threats to upsurge over the next three years.
According to a spokesman for Gartner, the analysis “reveals that skills challenges continue to plague organizations that undergo digitalization, with digital security staffing shortages considered a top inhibitor to innovation.”
Particularly troubling is that according to Gartner research director Rob McMillan, cybercriminals can be especially crafty — and their activities are often difficult to anticipate.
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“In a twisted way, many cybercriminals are digital pioneers, finding ways to leverage big data and web-scale techniques to stage attacks and steal data,” said McMillan. “CIOs can’t protect their organizations from everything, so they need to create a sustainable set of controls that balances their need to protect their business with their need to run it.”
Businesses would be wise to shield themselves accordingly. “Taking a risk-based approach is imperative to set a target level of cybersecurity readiness,” said McMillan. “Security investments must be prioritized by business outcomes to ensure the right amount is spent on the right things.”
Data for the survey was compiled from 3,160 CIO participants in 98 countries across “major industries.”
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