Companies are facing more cyberattacks than ever before - and many just can't cope

• ISACA figures show cyberattacks are happening more frequently
• Understaffing and limited budgets are to blame
• Used correctly, AI can plug the gap

New ISACA data has claimed two in five (39%) European professionals are reporting more cyberattacks than last year, with attacks increasing in both scale and complexity.

Even though rising attack frequency and severity isn’t a surprise (countless other reports correlate with this one), only around a third (38%) feel confident their organization can respond effectively, suggesting poor preparation and response to trends.

Poor readiness is being influenced by understaffing (58%) and poor budgets (54%), but both factors were cited less than last year suggesting that steady progress is being made.

Many orgs aren’t ready to respond to cyberattacks

"Over the past year, the public has seen first-hand just how impactful cyberattacks can be, with high-profile breaches devastating businesses and dominating headlines,” ISACA Chief Global Strategy Officer Chris Dimitriadis explained.

ISACA says there’s much more at play within organizations than just poor response and readiness – other struggles are spreading resources more thinly in general. Two-thirds (68%) of workers say their jobs are more stressful than five years ago, with more than half (54%) concerned about unrealistic expectations or excessive workloads.

A fifth (22%) of organizations have taken no action on burnout, and around one in three (36%) workers also note a lack of necessary skills and training.

“While organisations are starting to acknowledge the problem and take steps to address long-standing issues in budgets and staffing, the pace of change is still far too slow,” Dimitriadis noted.

Looking ahead, all of these factors are impacting on talent acquisition and retention for half (52%) of companies, with entry-level roles taking three to six months to fill for nearly one in two businesses.

Although artificial intelligence has proven to be beneficial across threat detection (29%), endpoint security (28%) and general task automation (27%) among cybersecurity professionals, further AI security legislation and upskilling are required to match rising attacks.

“By valuing hands-on training, professional credentials and transferable skills, organisations can strengthen their teams and ease the pressure on overstretched professionals,” Dimitriadis concluded.

You might also like

• Here’s our roundup of the best endpoint protection software
• Many workers wouldn't tell their bosses if they'd been hit by a cyberattack
• The best ransomware protection could futureproof you against rising cases