The 2023
State of Security
Leadership
Exploring the Struggles of CISOs
in a Shifting Digital Terrain
THE 2023 STATE OF SECURITY LEADERSHIP
Table of Contents
Methodology 4
Key Findings 6
Detailed Findings 9
Damage Caused by Cyber Attacks is Accelerating 10
The Cyber Threat Landscape is Significantly Worse 11
Geopolitical Tensions Have Caused Organizations to Take Action 13
Securing the Attack Surface is the Number One Priority for the 15
Next 12 Months
Mental Health and Burnout is a Significant Concern 18
Cyber Insurance is Table Stakes 20
Policies and Capabilities 22
The Cyber Evolution 25
Continues
Top 5 Recommendations for Today’s Security Leaders 25
Conclusion 29
THE 2023 STATE OF SECURITY LEADERSHIP • [Link] 2
THE 2023 STATE OF SECURITY LEADERSHIP
Methodology
THE 2023 STATE OF SECURITY LEADERSHIP • [Link] 3
Methodology
This Spring 2023 study utilized a blind quantitative survey to explore senior
cybersecurity leaders’ perspectives on strategic issues – from the current threat
environment to geopolitical influence to personnel burnout, and more.
Respondents were professionally recruited from a well-screened panel. The
total number of responses was 208, from respondents identifying as CISOs or
CISO-equivalents or other senior-level security leaders across a broad range of
industry sectors. They all worked at companies with greater than 5000 employees
in organizations based in the United States, western Europe and Australia. All
responses were anonymous.
Participants by Job Role
66% Senior Cybersecurity Leader (VP, Senior Director)
31% Chief/Deputy Chief Information Security Officer 3% Chief Cybersecurity Architect
Participants by Number of Employees
69% 5,000-9,999 26% 10,000-25,000 5% More than 25,000
Participants by Geo Location
72% United States 21% Western Europe 7% Australia
THE 2023 STATE OF SECURITY LEADERSHIP • [Link] 4
THE 2023 STATE OF SECURITY LEADERSHIP - METHODOLOGY
Participants by Industry Sector
Manufacturing 26%
Professional Services 23%
Retail and Consumer Durables 14%
Finance and Financial Services 12%
Healthcare and Pharmaceuticals 6%
Energy, Extraction and Utilities 5%
Telecommunications 5%
Travel and Transportation 3%
Insurance 3%
Construction, Machinery and Homes 1%
1%
Business Support and Logistics 0.5%
Education 0.5%
THE 2023 STATE OF SECURITY LEADERSHIP • [Link] 5
THE 2023 STATE OF SECURITY LEADERSHIP
Key
Findings
THE 2023 STATE OF SECURITY LEADERSHIP • [Link] 6
THE 2023 STATE OF SECURITY LEADERSHIP - KEY FINDINGS
Introduction
The job of the CISO has never been more challenging. Between the steady increase
in ransomware attacks, the rise of geopolitical tensions and nation-state sponsored
espionage, and the acceleration of trends like cloud migration, there is a LOT on the
CISO’s plate.
With so many challenging headwinds, how do CISOs hold it together to protect both
their assets and their teams’ wellbeing at the same time?
It starts with understanding the key issues we are facing in cybersecurity today. To
learn more about the massive challenges CISOs are currently tackling, we surveyed
security leaders in the US, Europe, and Australia to get first-hand insights. Read on
for our high-level findings.
Key Findings
The threat outlook is not improving.
All of our survey respondents reported that the cyber threat landscape is worse
than the previous year. In fact, almost all respondents experienced at least one
cyberattack and over half experienced between two and five. There was increased
awareness of the amount and sophistication of attacks, especially attributed
to conversations with their peers. Almost none said that a decrease in their own
security budget contributed to this perception. It seems to be common knowledge
and discourse in the industry.
The breadth of connected assets is largely unknown.
Over half of respondents said a better understanding their entire attack surface
is their top priority for the next twelve months. Most respondents currently have
poor visibility into the range of digital assets connecting to their network—28%
discover connected assets manually, and only 22% use an automated tool.
Clearly, organizations still have a long way to go. And, even though it is well known
that people are the weakest link in cyber risks, security leaders’ efforts to control
connected personal assets and workers’ online behaviors aren’t as strict as they
likely should be.
THE 2023 STATE OF SECURITY LEADERSHIP • [Link] 7
THE 2023 STATE OF SECURITY LEADERSHIP - KEY FINDINGS
Geopolitics matter.
58% took defensive actions resulting from increased global tensions. With the war in
Ukraine, today’s divisive political landscape, and the ubiquity of globally distributed
devices, nation-state actors are quickly taking advantage of this evolving
paradigm. Additionally, the White House recently released their Cyber Security
strategy, which stresses the importance of taking more vigilant action across both
the public and private sectors.
Cyber investment protection is mixed.
Most respondents said their budgets for cyber spending are up, but spending is
focused on sustaining what they already have in place rather than investing in
new tools. Carrying cyber insurance has become a must, yet we question whether
security leaders are really ready to meet all of their policy’s terms.
Security teams may be close to hitting the wall.
Respondents indicated significant concerns about the talent shortage and the
resulting toll on current staff. With 65% citing the lack of qualified resources to fill
their needs as their highest personnel worry, it is not surprising that over 60% of
security leaders are reporting high levels of mental and physical burnout.
THE 2023 STATE OF SECURITY LEADERSHIP • [Link] 8
THE 2023 STATE OF SECURITY LEADERSHIP
Detailed
Findings
THE 2023 STATE OF SECURITY LEADERSHIP • [Link] 9
DETAILED FINDINGS - DAMAGE CAUSED BY CYBER ATTACKS IS ACCELERATING
Damage Caused by Cyber
Attacks is Accelerating
While organizations continue to bolster their defenses and invest in cybersecurity
initiatives, respondents are clearly still feeling the cyber pain as the barrage of
threats accelerate. In our survey, an alarming 93% of respondents reported
having suffered at least one successful cyberattack over the past 12 months
that caused material impact. And, even more concerning, 53% were successfully
attacked between two and five times. With only 7% being ‘safe’ (for now), it is
clear that experiencing a significant cyberattack has become the norm for most
organizations.
In the past 12 months, how many times was your organization
affected by a cyberattack that caused material damage?
93% At least once 7% Never
Enterprise Organizations
Experience More Attacks
• 82% of companies with 5,000-9,999 employees
reported being attacked materially 2-5 times.
• 53% of companies with 10,000-25,000
employees were materially attacked more
than 5 times.
THE 2023 STATE OF SECURITY LEADERSHIP • [Link] 10
DETAILED FINDINGS - THE CYBER THREAT LANDSCAPE IS SIGNIFICANTLY WORSE
The Cyber Threat Landscape
is Significantly Worse
All respondents perceive the current threat landscape as worse than one year ago,
with 70% believing it is significantly worse. Not one respondent reported that the
cyber threat landscape had improved or remained the same from one year ago.
Fortunately, that perception was not linked to economic belt-tightening, as barely
any respondents reported a decrease in budget in the past year.
Compared to one year ago, what is your perception of
the level of threats currently facing your organization?
70% Somewhat worse 30% Significantly Worse
The Perception of the
Threat Landscape is Worse
in Manufacturing
54.3% of those working in Manufacturing
saw the threat landscape as:
• Somewhat Worse (24.1%) or,
• Significantly Worse (30.2%).
THE 2023 STATE OF SECURITY LEADERSHIP • [Link] 11
DETAILED FINDINGS - THE CYBER THREAT LANDSCAPE IS SIGNIFICANTLY WORSE
The reasons respondents did have that perception vary. About half reported
their perceptions came from peer-level input and the increased sophistication
of attackers. Security leaders implicitly trust the opinions and experiences of their
peers, so it is not surprising that this is the number one reason for their unfavorable
perceptions of the landscape.
The second most concerning group were external factors such as remote work,
cloud computing, and supply chain partner practices that complicate the risk
environment and increase vulnerabilities. Still, well under 50% identified remote work
and the move to the cloud as part of their rationale, perhaps signifying that some of
the biggest problems in the earlier part of the COVID-19 pandemic are easing, and
respondents may have more of a handle on them.
Why do you perceive the level of cyber threats currently
facing your organization as worse than a year ago?
Colleagues are reporting more attacks 52%
Cyber criminals are more sophisticated 50%
Remote work has created
more vulnerabilities
45%
Cloud migration has created
45%
more vulnerabilities
Our software providers aren't keeping
up with security best practices
38%
Our organization has had an increased
34%
number of attacks
We have struggled finding qualified
security staff to fill our needs
23%
Our security budget has decreased 2%
THE 2023 STATE OF SECURITY LEADERSHIP • [Link] 12
DETAILED FINDINGS - GEOPOLITICAL TENSIONS HAVE CAUSED ORGANIZATIONS TO TAKE ACTION
Geopolitical Tensions Have
Caused Organizations to
Take Action
Respondents have taken multiple actions toward improving their cyber defenses.
Given the amount of attention paid to Zero Trust in the last two years, it is not
surprising that implementing a Zero Trust architecture and privileged access
management topped the list. Bolstering supply chain security was the second
most common action taken, followed by beefing up threat intelligence. These
steps demonstrate that security leaders are prioritizing a strategic approach to
cyber security.
In the last 12 months, has your organization taken any
of the following cybersecurity actions?
Implemented a Zero Trust or
privileged access management 54%
Increased supply chain
security measures 48%
Started/increased a threat
intelligence program 46%
Implemented attack
surface monitoring 41%
Blocked known Tactics, Techniques,
and Procedures (TTPs) 41%
Instituted stronger
encryption policies 37%
Strengthened our incident
response capabilities 21%
Air gapped the most
sensitive systems 15%
THE 2023 STATE OF SECURITY LEADERSHIP • [Link] 13
DETAILED FINDINGS - GEOPOLITICAL TENSIONS HAVE CAUSED ORGANIZATIONS TO TAKE ACTION
Of organizations with 5,000-9,999 employees:
• 73% increased supply chain security measures
• 70% implemented attack surface monitoring techniques
• 68% started or increased a threat intelligence effort
• 69% said they accelerated their security measures because
of increased geopolitical tensions
These are significant steps for companies of this size to take.
Interestingly, current geopolitical events certainly had an impact, with well over half
of respondents saying they increased their security efforts due to political tensions
such as the conflict in Ukraine and challenges with China. Malicious nation-state
actors’ common usage of the Dark Web no doubt contributed to the greater interest
in threat intelligence, indicating a potential paradigm shift in how security leaders
need to assess today’s threat landscape.
Did you take any of the actions listed above due to
increased geopolitical tensions?
58% Yes 42% No
THE 2023 STATE OF SECURITY LEADERSHIP • [Link] 14
DETAILED FINDINGS - SECURING THE ATTACK SURFACE IS THE NUMBER ONE PRIORITY
Securing the Attack Surface is
the Number One Priority for the
Next 12 Months
Respondents’ forward-looking priorities indicated the need to uplevel cyber efforts
to be more comprehensive and more strategic. Over half of respondents said they
need to better understand their entire attack surface, revealing that they currently
do not have a handle on everything that is touching their network. This underscores
the rapid rise of External Attack Surface Management (EASM) platforms as a critical
and foundational element to securing global organizations and preventing attacks.
Which of the following reflect your top priorities for
improving your organization’s cybersecurity over the
next 12 months?
53%
49%
42%
40%
40%
24%
24%
16%
1%
THE 2023 STATE OF SECURITY LEADERSHIP • [Link] 15
DETAILED FINDINGS - SECURING THE ATTACK SURFACE IS THE NUMBER ONE PRIORITY
About half of respondents recognized the need to better protect customer and/or
constituent data privacy, although doing so for compliance reasons was a lesser
concern (only 24%). Today’s customers are demanding more privacy and security
from the organizations they conduct business with, and as a result, security leaders
are prioritizing these efforts. So while there are compliance reasons to protect data,
businesses are realizing that their security practices (or lack thereof) can have an
impact on revenue.
Another initiative that surfaced for our respondents is the need for executive
level and cross-functional prioritization. Over 40% of respondents are prioritizing
security’s alignment with business needs and concerns. With the increase in threats
and the catastrophic impact a breach can have on an organization, security
strategy needs to be prioritized across all functions in the business. This has been
further accelerated by the proliferation of cloud sprawl and shadow IT that goes
outside of the organization’s technical functions.
Is current economic uncertainty influencing your
budget for cybersecurity investments?
We are increasing budget due to
increased security threats 69%
We have reduced budget over
the next several quarters 28%
We are focused on sustaining
the tools and systems we have in 48%
place vs. purchasing new tools.
We are incorporating more
automation as a force multiplier 28%
We are evaluating tools
that help us consolidate 25%
our stack to maximize ROI
THE 2023 STATE OF SECURITY LEADERSHIP • [Link] 16
DETAILED FINDINGS - SECURING THE ATTACK SURFACE IS THE NUMBER ONE PRIORITY
How are security leaders planning to support these priorities? A large percentage
of respondents are increasing their cyber budgets in response to increased
threats. However, spending reflects a more conservative approach, as nearly half
will use their spend to sustain what is already in place rather than introduce new
technologies. Only 28% are turning to automation as a force multiplier. So while
economic uncertainty continues to loom, security leaders are continuing to hold on
to their budgets. Again, this is another indicator that the cost of a breach is simply
too high to risk unnecessary exposure, regardless of economic headwinds.
THE 2023 STATE OF SECURITY LEADERSHIP • [Link] 17
DETAILED FINDINGS - MENTAL HEALTH AND BURNOUT IS A SIGNIFICANT CONCERN
Mental Health and Burnout is a
Significant Concern
With so many challenges facing security leaders today, we wanted to investigate
how issues like burnout, the talent gap, and mental health are impacting teams.
On a scale of 1 (lowest) to 5 (highest), please rate your level of
concern regarding the following cybersecurity personnel issues:
1 (not at all) 2 3 4 5 (very)
43%
34% 33% 32%
28%
25%
24%
20%
18%
14%
12%
7%
4% 4%
2%
Insufficient external talent pool Limited/no skills growth for Mental/physical burnout of
available to fill your hiring needs internal cybersecurity staff internal cybersecurity staff
39% 41%
23% 23% 23% 23%
12% 11%
3%
2%
Mental/physical burnout of Insufficient qualified resources
you personally to meet the cybersecurity
requirements of your organization
THE 2023 STATE OF SECURITY LEADERSHIP • [Link] 18
DETAILED FINDINGS - MENTAL HEALTH AND BURNOUT IS A SIGNIFICANT CONCERN
For security teams to effectively grapple with the evolving threat and compliance
landscape, they need qualified resources to fill talent gaps. However, 43% of
respondents reported that the lack of a skilled talent pool to meet hiring needs was
a major challenge, and 33% reported that there was limited or no skills growth for
their own internal cybersecurity staff. Unfortunately, this is a very real consequence
of the current security talent gap﹘there are simply not enough trained resources
available to fill all of the open roles.
Perhaps not having the right resources for critical roles is one of the reasons that we
saw mental health impacts and burnout coming in as the second most prominent
people-related concern. 39% of respondents reported significant concerns around
their own mental health and physical burnout, and 32% reported concerns about
their staff’s mental health and physical burnout.
It is interesting to point out that our respondents reported concern over their own
mental health slightly higher than concerns over their staff’s mental health. As
cyber practitioners benefit from more tools that can help with rote tasks and
reducing false positives, their jobs might be becoming a little bit easier, while the
senior leaders still bear the greater responsibility of protecting the business. Might
more collaboration or trusted delegation be needed?
THE 2023 STATE OF SECURITY LEADERSHIP • [Link] 19
DETAILED FINDINGS - CYBER INSURANCE IS TABLE STAKES
Cyber Insurance is
Table Stakes
In addition to sustaining budgets for cyber protection, cyber insurance has
become a must-have. Almost all respondents said their organizations carry a
cyber policy. That is a significant increase from even a few years ago. However,
among those who do, over a quarter said they are not aware of or fully prepared
to meet all of the obligations of their policy. Even those respondents claiming they
are fully aware of the terms and obligations of their cyber insurance policy may be
overly confident.
Does your organization carry cyber insurance?
91% Yes 9% No
(If yes) Are you aware of the FULL terms and obligations
of your organization’s cyber insurance policy?
73% Yes 1% No 26% Somewhat
The uncertainty is likely due to the pace of change in the cyber insurance space.
Given the high number of claims over the last several years, cyber insurance
policies have become far more expensive, strict, and detailed, as underwriters get
more into the cyber-weeds.
THE 2023 STATE OF SECURITY LEADERSHIP • [Link] 20
DETAILED FINDINGS - CYBER INSURANCE IS TABLE STAKES
For instance, one of the main requirements of a cyber policy is having an asset
inventory. That can’t be correctly done if an organization does not know all of its
assets. This may be a contributing factor to respondents rating the need to get a
better understanding of their entire attack surface as their top priority for the next
12 months. In fact, many cyber insurance providers today have implemented their
own Attack Surface Management platforms in order to monitor the companies
they insure. However, businesses should not rely on a provider’s attack surface
monitoring to inform their business’ strategy.
THE 2023 STATE OF SECURITY LEADERSHIP • [Link] 21
DETAILED FINDINGS - POLICIES AND CAPABILITIES
Policies and Capabilities
Over half of respondents are making concerted efforts to keep employees’ personal
assets separate from job-related technology and networks. 55% said they actively
block unauthorized connections, and 38% actively monitor employees’ online
behaviors. Considering it is widely known that people are the weakest link in cyber-
attacks, these numbers seem somewhat low. Still, 80% found their policies adequate
for meeting the risks posed by modern technology employees use, again possibly
suggesting over-confidence.
Data exposures via misconfiguration remain a serious problem. In Censys’ 2023
State of the Internet Report, we identified over 8,000 servers on the internet hosting
potentially sensitive information, including possible credentials, database backups,
and configuration files. This suggests that perhaps policies aren’t working the way
security leaders had hoped, and there is likely a disconnect between what they
want to work and what actually does work to prevent misconfigurations and data
exposures effectively.
Does your organization maintain policies around employees’
personal use of applications and other technologies on
employer-owned assets?
We train employees about cyber risk and
ask them not to use personal software 58%
on work devices
We block employees from downloading
unapproved applications and/or connecting 55%
personal devices to our network
We have an official policy that all employees
must sign and comply with
49%
We monitor what employees are doing
37%
and searching for on our network
We operate on an honor system and have
no means to monitor employee behavior
9%
THE 2023 STATE OF SECURITY LEADERSHIP • [Link] 22
DETAILED FINDINGS - POLICIES AND CAPABILITIES
Is your policy stringent enough to address risks from
current technology at workers’ disposal?
80% Yes 20% No
Even with the best policies, mistakes happen. Social engineering happens. Also,
sometimes people make choices to go outside of policies to support a preferred
work practice. An example might be a developer setting up unauthorized external
sandboxes for tinkering with code and then leaving those sites orphaned. Typically,
those sites are cloud instances, and because each cloud provider has a different
configuration scheme, it’s easy for a developer to unintentionally set up a cloud
environment that is exposed to the internet. If that developer then leaves the
company, there is no way to track down the properties they had set up. Risky
behaviors like this - and more - are difficult to police, and likely should not be left to
trust. This reinforces the need for better awareness of all (even very remote) corners
of the attack surface.
Which of the following best describes how you discover
and gain visibility into digital assets that need protecting?
We manually track and catalog assets on a
regularly scheduled point-in-time basis
28%
We use an automated tool to scan and track
everything in our network environment 22%
We require all departments in our organization
to document all internal assets and the 20%
external services they use
We manually track and catalog assets on
an ad hoc basis
15%
We use a vulnerability management tool to
look for specific network vulnerabilities 14%
THE 2023 STATE OF SECURITY LEADERSHIP • [Link] 23
DETAILED FINDINGS - POLICIES AND CAPABILITIES
Professional Services Manually Tracking
the Most Assets
Professional Services was the top industry sector for manually tracking
and cataloging digital assets on a regularly scheduled basis (34.5%);
but this sector also tops the list for tracking and cataloging ad hoc
(31.3%). While this sector may be most disciplined about tracking,
too many are still relying on manual, error-prone methods.
Respondents did feel they are in good shape when it comes to having a regularly
updated and shared process for remediating common vulnerabilities and
exposures (CVEs) that impact their network. CVEs are a very particular type of risk,
formally tracked and published by the MITRE Corporation. Staying current on them
should be part of every security team’s ongoing practice. It seems these senior
security leaders understand that and make it a regular part of their team’s priorities.
Does your security organization maintain a formal
remediation process to be implemented should a critical
vulnerability exposure (CVE) impact your network?
86% Yes 9% Yes, but it is out of date 5% No
However, as also demonstrated through findings in the Censys 2023 State of
the Internet Report, vulnerability does not only refer to servers with outdated
and exploitable software. Vulnerabilities can arise from various sources like
misconfigurations, unknown assets, errors in judgment, and rushed work. While
having a reliable CVE remediation process in place is certainly essential, it is not
nearly enough to counter the breadth of exposure that exists.
THE 2023 STATE OF SECURITY LEADERSHIP • [Link] 24
THE 2023 STATE OF SECURITY LEADERSHIP
The Cyber
Evolution
Continues
5 Recommendations for
Today’s Security Leaders
THE 2023 STATE OF SECURITY LEADERSHIP • [Link] 25
THE 2023 STATE OF SECURITY LEADERSHIP - THE CYBER EVOLUTION CONTINUES
Top 5 Recommendations for
Today’s Security Leaders
As the cybersecurity landscape continues to evolve at breakneck speeds,
security leaders will be asked to adapt. While there is no true definitive list of
recommendations to help CISOs tackle all of the issues mentioned in this report,
here, we offer some of Censys’ recommended solutions based on our own expertise
and the experience of our customers:
1. Ensure Leadership and Cross-Functional
Alignment for Security Initiatives
40% of respondents to our survey are prioritizing security’s alignment with business
needs and concerns. With the increased occurrence of breaches (53% of survey
respondents have been breached between 2-5 times over the past 12 months),
security must become a critical element of every organization’s strategy. Not only
can a breach cost an organization a material amount of money, but it can also
impact employees, productivity, customer revenue, and more. Plus, security is now
interwoven with a large number of cross-functional compliance initiatives.
To ensure alignment with leadership, security leaders must develop easy-to-
understand executive reports, clear ROI metrics around security investments,
guidelines on cross-functional security frameworks, and robust employee
training programs. It is imperative that security leaders bring these concerns and
challenges directly to the C-suite to get buy-in for an organization-wide security
strategy. Additionally, security leaders must make sure they and their teams
understand the organization’s business objectives and incorporate those priorities
into the security roadmap.
THE 2023 STATE OF SECURITY LEADERSHIP • [Link] 26
THE 2023 STATE OF SECURITY LEADERSHIP - THE CYBER EVOLUTION CONTINUES
2. Implement an External Attack Surface
Management Platform to Identify and Monitor
Internet-Facing Assets
In our survey we learned that understanding and securing the entire attack surface
is the number one priority for organizations over the next 12 months. Clearly, with
the rapid proliferation of assets, businesses simply can’t catch up, and the lack of
visibility can quickly leave you exposed.
The lack of transparency into internet-facing assets also showed up when we asked
why respondents perceive the level of cyber threats worse than a year ago. 45%
noted that remote work has created more vulnerabilities, 45% noted that the move
to the cloud has created more vulnerabilities, and 38% were concerned that their
software providers are not keeping up with security best practices.
By implementing an EASM platform like Censys, organizations are armed with the
critical information they need to discover, monitor, and understand internet-facing
assets in real-time. This information empowers security leaders and teams to
automate the identification, prioritization, and remediation of advanced threats and
exposures. Identifying assets manually is time consuming and inaccurate, and an
EASM helps to automate that process.
3. Understand the Nuances of Your Cyber
Insurance Policy
While 91% of our respondents do in fact carry a cyber insurance policy, 26% said
that they were only somewhat aware of their policy obligations. While it is great
that cyber insurance is now table stakes, organizations must be aware of the policy
terms, which can be challenging due to the pace that the cyber insurance space
has been moving.
Make sure that you are constantly up-to-date with all policy changes, no matter
how small, to help better inform your business strategy. Don’t simply read the
policy once and assume that the terms and conditions will remain the same. Cyber
insurance policies are continuing to raise the stakes.
THE 2023 STATE OF SECURITY LEADERSHIP • [Link] 27
THE 2023 STATE OF SECURITY LEADERSHIP - THE CYBER EVOLUTION CONTINUES
Additionally, one of the main requirements of cyber insurance is having an asset
inventory, so businesses must adopt tools like EASM platforms to know exactly what
is going on with internal and external assets before an insurance provider dings you
for having a critical vulnerability.
4. Take the Time to Understand Mental Health
Impacts on You and Your Team
With so much going on in the world of cybersecurity, it is challenging to take the
time to consider your own mental health or the mental health of your team. The
seemingly never-ending talent gap, the increased sophistication of threat actors,
and the rapid proliferation of tools mean mental health can quickly be put on the
back burner. However, studies show that burnout can lead to a variety of critical
issues, including inadvertently missing a potential vulnerability that leads to a
breach.
While there is no hard and fast solution to this issue, a great first step is to
encourage high-level conversations on your team that address burnout and
mental health challenges. By normalizing these conversations, teams can feel more
comfortable coming to their leaders when significant challenges arise.
Additionally, reducing cybersecurity tool sprawl and investing in automation can
help increase the productivity of your team while making their jobs easier. The sheer
amount of tools that many security professionals must monitor can be incredibly
overwhelming. By investing in automation and consolidation, you can better
leverage your resources and streamline tasks.
5. Prioritize Cyber Security Policies Across Your
Organization
While 58% of our survey respondents said that they do train employees about cyber
risks, 42% of our respondents do not. And what’s even more concerning is that of
those 58% that do, 20% do not think that training is stringent enough.
We know that the majority of exposures happen because of human error and
misconfigurations, so it is critical that organizations develop and implement a
regular training program that is easily understood and accessible to all employees.
THE 2023 STATE OF SECURITY LEADERSHIP • [Link] 28
THE 2023 STATE OF SECURITY LEADERSHIP - THE CYBER EVOLUTION CONTINUES
Additionally, it is important to the success of a training program to have C-suite
alignment and prioritization.
There are many tools out there that help you automate training programs and
develop strict policies that your employees can follow. Make sure that you and your
leadership team are in lock-step around the prioritization of these programs.
Conclusion
This research demonstrates the continual progression of a
cybersecurity conundrum that has become an unfortunate
but permanent part of the digital environment. Progress is
being made, but new fronts open up and new challenges
emerge in a seemingly endless cycle. As the need for security
rises to a board level concern, cyber leaders are facing more
strategic issues to defend against, even while ongoing threats
persist. As those security leaders stand to meet the threats, it
behooves organizational leaders to provide the support and
resources necessary to help enable those they must count on
to keep their enterprises safe.
THE 2023 STATE OF SECURITY LEADERSHIP • [Link] 29
About Censys
Censys, Inc.™ is the leading Internet Intelligence Platform for Threat Hunting
and Exposure Management. Founded in 2013 in Ann Arbor, Michigan, Censys
gives organizations the world’s most comprehensive real-time view of global
networks and devices. Customers like Google, Cisco, Microsoft, Samsung, NATO,
Swiss Armed Forces, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Cybersecurity
& Infrastructure Security Agency, and over 51% of the Fortune 500 rely on the
company’s Exposure Management solution for a real-time, contextualized view
into their internet and cloud assets.
For more information, visit [Link].