Number of attacks per year on the rise for third year in a row; malware, ransomware, spear fishing, and botnet attacks expected to increase in 2017
TORONTO, Feb. 9, 2017 /CNW/ - The number, sophistication, and severity of cyber-attacks on companies in Canada are each on the rise, according to the findings of a new study from Scalar Decisions Inc. of more than 650 Canadian IT and security workers.
Released today, the 2017 Scalar Security Study (commissioned by Scalar and independently by Ponemon Institute) showed that confidence continues to decline among Canadian organizations for the third year in a row as fewer believe they are winning the quickly-evolving war on security. The average number of reported cyber-attacks on Canadian organizations rose to an average of 44 attacks per year, up nearly 30% since the initial survey in 2014. The vast majority of respondents also report that both the severity (81%) and sophistication (72%) of attacks are increasing.
"IT leaders are under pressure right now, feeling like there is a deficit of properly trained personnel available in the workforce. This has led to a distinct lack of in-house expertise, which is critical to a strong cyber security posture for Canadian companies," said Ryan Wilson, Chief Technology Officer, Security, Scalar Decisions. "The increase in incidents and decreasing confidence we are seeing coincides with the growing sophistication, severity, and cost of attacks."
The study, examining the cyber security readiness of Canadian organizations and year-over-year trends in handling and managing growing cyber threats, also found:
"The overall picture being painted by the study's results is the need for enterprise-wide adoption of cyber security strategy, and the investment in both technologies and individuals with hands-on experience," added Wilson. "Organizations need trained personnel who understand how to react when faced with threats such as ransomware, spear fishing, and increasing incidents of rootkits."
About the 2017 Scalar Security Study
All responses were captured in October 2016 via a web-based survey conducted by Ponemon Institute. The final sample was 658 respondents from a sampling frame of IT and IT security practitioners located in Canada. Respondents came from a wide variety of industries, with almost 54% working at companies with an employee count between 251 and 5,000. The majority of respondents reported their position as at or above the supervisory level.
The full study can be downloaded at https://www.scalar.ca/en/landing/scalar-security-study-2017
About Scalar Decisions
Scalar is Canada's leading IT solutions provider, focused on security, infrastructure, and cloud. Founded in 2004, Scalar is headquartered in Toronto, with offices in Montreal, Ottawa, London, Winnipeg, Calgary, Edmonton, and Vancouver. Scalar was recently named to the CRN Fast Growth Top 150 List and listed on the PROFIT 500 for the seventh year running. In addition, Scalar was deemed a major player in the IDC MarketScape for Canadian managed security service providers and ranked the #1 ICT security company on the 2014 - 2016 editions of the Branham 300. For further details, visit www.scalar.ca or follow Scalar on Twitter, @scalardecisions.
About Ponemon Institute
Ponemon Institute is dedicated to independent research and education that advances responsible information and privacy management practices within business and government.
SOURCE Scalar Decisions Inc.
Matt Roth, Kaiser Lachance Communications, 647-725-2520 x 222, [email protected]
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