Study: Despite growing concern for cybersecurity, few CISOs report to CEO

Even as cybersecurity dominates headlines both within healthcare and in other industries, most chief information security officers (CISOs) don't yet have a seat at the executive table, according to a study by ISACA and RSA Conference.

The study found that 82 percent of cybersecurity and information security professionals polled report that their board of directors is concerned or very concerned about cybersecurity, but only 1 in 7 (14 percent) CISOs reports to the CEO.

Nearly three-quarters (74 percent) of security professionals expect a cyberattack in 2016 and 30 percent experience phishing attacks every day, according to the findings.

“While there are signs that C-level executives increasingly understand the importance of cybersecurity, there are still opportunities for improvement,” said Jennifer Lawinski, editor-in-chief, RSA Conference, in a release. “The majority of CISOs still report to CIOs, which shows cybersecurity is viewed as a technical rather than business issue. This survey highlights the discrepancy to provide an opportunity for growth for the infosec community in the future.”

This year's survey indicated a 12-point drop in the percentage of security professionals who are confident in their team’s ability to detect and respond to incidents, sinking from 87 percent in 2014 to 75 percent in 2015. Among those 75 percent, 6 in 10 do not believe their staff can handle anything beyond simple cybersecurity incidents. In addition, the number who say that fewer than half of job candidates were considered “qualified upon hire” has risen from 50 percent to 59 percent in a year. Twenty-seven percent need six months to fill a cybersecurity position, up three points from 2014.

“The lack of confidence in current cybersecurity skill levels shows that conventional approaches to training are lacking,” said Ron Hale, chief knowledge officer of ISACA. “Hands-on, skills-based training is critical to closing the cybersecurity skills gap and effectively developing a strong cyber workforce.”

The State of Cybersecurity study also looked at perceived connections between risk and two emerging industry trends: artificial intelligence (AI) and the Internet of Things. Rather than seeing AI as part of its cyberdefense, respondents believe AI will increase risk in both the short- (42 percent) and long-term (62 percent). More than half (53 percent) of respondents are concerned or very concerned that the Internet of Things will expand attack surfaces further and exacerbate cyber risk.

The survey indicated "a marked lack of situational awareness for professionals who report that cybersecurity or information security is their primary role":

• 24 percent did not know if any user credentials were stolen in 2015
• 24 percent did not know which threat actors exploited their organizations
• 23 percent did not know whether their organization had experienced an advanced persistent threat attack
• 20 percent did not know whether any corporate assets were hijacked for botnet use

On the other hand, 61 percent said they expect their cybersecurity budget to increase in 2016 and 75 percent say their organization’s cybersecurity strategy now aligns to enterprise objectives.