A current survey of company management shows that almost a third want to invest in additional IT security solutions. According to the Sophos management study, the staff for IT security should also be increased and IT security should become part of the corporate strategy.
The topic of cyber security is now of strategic importance for many companies due to the professionalization of cyber crime and the increased threat situation. Is this also reflected in day-to-day business and which security measures are at the top of the priority list for company decision-makers? Sophos investigated this question as part of its current management study. The results show that the topic of IT security is now integrated into the general corporate strategy and that appropriate measures to protect against cyber attacks are being taken or implemented in the future.
More security technology and IT strategies
New technical solutions and the adaptation of new IT security strategies are the obvious measures to improve cyber security in companies. The management level in the companies in Germany, Austria and Switzerland also sees it that way. When asked what measures company management is taking to ensure cyber security in their company, almost a third of German managers (27,9 percent) stated that they are planning to invest in further IT security solutions (e.g. artificial intelligence) in the future (Austria 28,3 percent ; Switzerland 31,4 percent). 26,3 percent of the German respondents (Austria 18,8 percent; Switzerland 21 percent) confirmed that they had been increasing their investments in this area for more than a year.
In addition, the executives plan to continue to implement additional IT security strategies in the future, like zero trust, to implement. This was stated by 23,9 percent of managers in Germany, 18,9 percent in Austria and 19,5 percent in Switzerland. According to the survey results, Swiss managers play a leading role when it comes to IT security strategies: 21,8 percent have already adapted additional IT security strategies in their companies in recent years (Germany 9,8 percent; Austria 13,2 percent).
Need for action for specialist staff
In addition to using new security technologies and adapting additional security strategies, companies also want to increase their IT security staff in order to be better protected against cyber threats. In Germany, 15,9 percent (Austria 18,9; Switzerland 13,7) of managers plan to expand their IT security staff in the future. However, 25,4 percent of German managers (Austria 17,5 percent; Switzerland 23,5 percent) are not planning to increase their staff. A possible reason for this could be that these companies have already built up additional security personnel in the past. 53,7 percent of the German respondents (Austria 51,5; Switzerland 60,8 percent) stated that they had been expanding their workforce in this area for at least a year.
Users are also the focus of security
When it comes to IT security training for the workforce, the companies are well positioned in the opinion of the managers in DACH: The 81,1 percent of those surveyed in Germany (Austria 81,2 percent; Switzerland 86,2 percent) stated that their Train staff for about a year or more.
Optimization of IT security processes
Optimizing existing IT processes is one way to better integrate them into the overall corporate strategy. The urgency of this measure is illustrated by the results of the survey: 78,2 percent of managers in Germany (Austria 69,8 percent; Switzerland 80,4 percent) have been optimizing their security processes for a year or more and 13,9 percent are planning this measure in the future (Austria 13,2 percent; Switzerland 11,8 percent). Only 3 percent of managers in Germany, 3,8 percent in Austria and 3,9 percent in Switzerland see no reason for this and are not planning to take this step.
background of the survey
On behalf of Sophos, Ipsos surveyed 201 C-level managers from trade, services and manufacturing in Germany and 50 each in Austria and Switzerland on the subject of IT security in their companies.
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