GetApp’s 2024 Executive Cybersecurity Report showed that 72 percent of the cybersecurity professions it surveyed reported senior executives have been targeted by cyberattacks in the last 18 months. GetApp’s security analyst, David Jani, explained the findings and how to protect the C-suite.
The report found that despite the danger, many organizations are failing to adapt their cybersecurity strategies to protect their top leaders. Over a third of companies globally (37 percent) do not provide specialized cybersecurity training to their senior executives, leaving a critical gap in their defenses.
Over half of U.S. companies (54 percent) have experienced at least one identity fraud incident affecting a senior executive over the last 18 months, which is 13 points higher than the global average of 41percent. Compared to the global average, U.S. senior executives witness significantly higher risks for fraudulent financial transactions as well.
“We saw in our data that more than half of the attacks on senior executives in the U.S. came from malware,” Jani stated. “Big red flags for these sorts of issues would be out-of-date software, links that direct to unsecured websites, and any unusual downloads or files on your system.
Jani noted that time seems to be a significant pain point for executives.
“In our findings, this was the biggest reason reported for executives skipping out on training, and given the pressures and responsibilities of those at the top, this is rather understandable,” he stated. “However, a lack of resources and prioritization in this area are also quite common, suggesting this is an overlooked area of cybersecurity that could use more effort and resources dedicated to it.”
For more, including what companies should learn from these statistics, read the full story in our Cybersecurity Today in-depth report here.