• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

My TechDecisions

  • Best of Tech Decisions
  • Topics
    • Video
    • Audio
    • Mobility
    • Unified Communications
    • IT Infrastructure
    • Network Security
    • Physical Security
    • Facility
    • Compliance
  • RFP Resources
  • Resources
  • Podcasts
  • Project of the Week
  • About Us
    SEARCH
Compliance, IT Infrastructure, Network Security, Unified Communications

Half of Global CISOs Feel Unprepared to Cope with a Cyber Attack

Despite growing confidence in security posture, Proofpoint’s latest report reveals CISOs feel unprepared to cope with a cyber attack.

May 18, 2022 TD Staff Leave a Comment

CIO, CISO cyber attack confidence
igor kisselev/stock.adobe.com

With the 2020 scramble to enable remote working, many CISOs have now come to terms with new ways of working. Many CISOs feel more in control of their environment: 48% feel that their organization is at risk of suffering a cyber attack within the next 12 months, down from 64% last year, according to Proofpoint’s annual Voice of the CISO report.

The Sunnyvale, Calif.-based cybersecurity and compliance company’s survey also reveals half of global CISOs still feel their organization is unprepared to handle a cyber attack and more than half (56%) consider human error to be their biggest cyber vulnerability. Established work-from-anywhere setups and The Great Resignation have presented CISOs with new challenges around information protection.

With employees now forming the defensive perimeter wherever they work, 51% of CISOs agree that they have seen an increase in targeted attacks in the last 12 months. And half say that increases in employee transitions means that protecting data has become an increased challenge and investment in information protection is top of the list of priorities for the next two years.

Related: CISOs’ Confidence In Security Dwindles As Cyber Attacks Increase

When asked how employees were most likely to cause a data breach, CISOs named compromised insider attacks as the most likely vector, where employees inadvertently expose their credentials, giving cyber criminals access to sensitive data.

Employee security awareness is on the rise, but users are still not adequately skilled for the role of cyber defense: while 60% of survey respondents believe employees understand their role in protecting their organization from cyber threats, 56% of global CISOs still consider human error to be their organization’s biggest cyber vulnerability. In the last year, only half of the global CISOs surveyed have increased the frequency of cybersecurity training for employees

Top Cyber Attack Threats Targeting Organizations

There is a lack of consensus among CISOs as to the most significant threats targeting their organization: this year, insider threats – whether negligent, accidental or criminal – topped Proofpoint’s list at 31%, but were closely followed by DDoS attacks, business email compromise, and cloud account compromise (O365 or G suite accounts being compromised), all at 30%. Despite dominating headlines, ransomware came in at 28%.

Ransomware headlines have increased cyber risk awareness among the C-Suite and driven strategy shifts: high-profile attacks (i.e. Colonial Pipeline, Kaseya, etc) have pushed ransomware to the top of the agenda for many organizations. More than half (58%) revealed they purchased cyber insurance and 3 in 5 global CISOs are focusing on prevention over detection and response strategies. Despite the rising stakes, however, 42% of CISOs admit they have no ransom payment policy in place.

“Overall, CISOs appear to have embraced 2022 as the calm after the storm but may be falling into a false sense of security. With rising geopolitical tensions and increasing people-focused attacks, the same gaps of user awareness, preparation and prevention must be plugged before the cybersecurity seas grow rough once more,” said Ryan Kalember, executive vice president of cybersecurity strategy for Proofpoint.

If you enjoyed this article and want to receive more valuable industry content like this, click here to sign up for our digital newsletters!

Tagged With: CISOs, Cybersecurity, Cybersecurity Training, Insider threats, Remote Work

Related Content:

  • Cloud, SASE, Aryaka How the Cloud is Redefining Media Production and…
  • Engaging virtual meeting with diverse participants discussing creative ideas in a bright office space during daylight hours Diversified Survey: Workplace AV Tech is Falling Short,…
  • women using Yealink WH64 Hybrid wireless headset Hybrid Work Trend Arises: The Impact on DECT…
  • Software License Spending, SaaS, cloud apps Your Guide to Choosing the Best Cloud Security…

Free downloadable guide you may like:

  • Practical Design Guide for Office SpacesPractical Design Guide for Office Spaces

    Recent Gartner research shows that workers prefer to return to the office for in-person meetings for relevant milestones, as well as for face-to-face time with co-workers. When designing the office spaces — and meeting spaces in particular — enabling that connection between co-workers is crucial. But introducing the right collaboration technology in meeting spaces can […]

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Latest Downloads

Practical Design Guide for Office Spaces
Practical Design Guide for Office Spaces

Recent Gartner research shows that workers prefer to return to the office for in-person meetings for relevant milestones, as well as for face-to-fa...

New Camera Can Transform Your Live Production Workflow
New Camera System Can Transform Your Live Production Workflow

Sony's HXC-FZ90 studio camera system combines flexibility and exceptional image quality with entry-level pricing.

Creating Great User Experience and Ultimate Flexibility with Clickshare

Working and collaborating in any office environment today should be meaningful, as workers today go to office for very specific reasons. When desig...

View All Downloads

Would you like your latest project featured on TechDecisions as Project of the Week?

Apply Today!

More from Our Sister Publications

Get the latest news about AV integrators and Security installers from our sister publications:

Commercial IntegratorSecurity Sales

AV-iQ

Footer

TechDecisions

  • Home
  • Welcome to TechDecisions
  • Contact Us
  • Comment Guidelines
  • RSS Feeds
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Linkedin

Free Technology Guides

FREE Downloadable resources from TechDecisions provide timely insight into the issues that IT, A/V, and Security end-users, managers, and decision makers are facing in commercial, corporate, education, institutional, and other vertical markets

View all Guides
TD Project of the Week

Get your latest project featured on TechDecisions Project of the Week. Submit your work once and it will be eligible for all upcoming weeks.

Enter Today!
Emerald Logo
ABOUTCAREERSAUTHORIZED SERVICE PROVIDERSYour Privacy ChoicesTERMS OF USEPRIVACY POLICY

© 2025 Emerald X, LLC. All rights reserved.