(Image: secunet Security Networks AG)
Findings show that 34% of organizations rate cloud security as the most important strategic security issue in 2022 and 2023. Secure backups/disaster recovery (20%), data security (19%), security awareness training security (15%) and identity and access management (14%) follow in second to fifth place.
The main challenges for companies in the field of cybersecurity go hand in hand with strategic issues. Nearly two-thirds of respondents say their security landscapes have become more complex in the past twelve months. Additionally, 69% expect complexity to continue to increase over the next 12 months.
Top five security challenges for companies in Germany, Austria and Switzerland are security complexity (24%), data protection/privacy (21%), ransomware attacks (19%), lack of subject matter skills information security (18%) and the security of networked environments (16%). 57% of companies surveyed agree that they already have or will have in the next year a severe cybersecurity staffing shortage.
Digital sovereignty is gaining importance
The economic and political situation has made the topic of “digital sovereignty” more important for three out of four companies. For 26% it is “much more important” with strategic implications and for another 49% at least “more important” with impacts on daily business. This means that many companies see numerous benefits in digital sovereignty. For example, it supports respondents in shaping their own transformation in self-directed ways, building trust with customers and other stakeholders, and fostering cooperation with partners in increasingly digital ecosystems (60% each).
Companies see the top 5 most common digital sovereignty challenges in data protection and visibility in clouds (31%), costs of assessing and introducing new technologies (29%), know-how in cloud contract management and professionals who understand and can implement individual digital sovereignty requirements (27%), the availability and cost of local compliance officers (25%) and deal with competing requirements across regional and national jurisdictions (24%).
Ransomware attacks are on the rise
(Image: secunet Security Networks AG)
According to the IDC study, 72% of businesses in the DACH region have been affected by ransomware. 40% have even seen an increase in cyberattacks in the past 12 months. Looking ahead, half of respondents (50%) expect the number of attacks to continue to rise. If there was a ransomware attack, only 50% of companies were able to successfully repel it.
„To remain competitive and successfully further develop their business model, companies need to react to technological innovations and act digitally with confidence.” analysed Franco Sauber, Global Head of Sales & Business Enablement, secunet Security Networks AG. „In addition to self-determination and independence, this also means freedom of choice, for example with regard to suppliers, data protection or transparency. This way, companies have more influence over what happens to their data and can ultimately better protect themselves from cybercrime, sabotage or espionage. Companies are already complaining about the lack of specialized personnel and the complexity of the security landscape, which can only be managed with independent partners and secure services.“
About the studio
The “Cybersecurity in DACH 2022” study was conducted by IDC as a primary market survey in September 2022. With the help of a structured questionnaire, 306 companies in the DACH region, consisting of Germany, Austria and Switzerland, with at least 50, but almost exclusively more than 100 employees were interviewed Safety managers participated in the survey All the results of the study are available here here. secunet is the cyber security partner of the Federal Republic of Germany and partner of the Cyber Security Alliance.
