Does money make you feel secure? Probably not if you’re a CISO. According to our new report, “The Security Bottom Line,” no matter how large your budget is, you’re not likely to feel that you have everything you need to effectively protect your environment from cyberattacks. But you can still put other capabilities and practices in place to shore up your defenses.

As part of the report, we surveyed security professionals about their budgeting and planning efforts. It was telling to find that:

• Ninety-four percent of respondents said they know they have further to go to implement effective security.
• Eighty-four percent said they were able to afford some, but not all, of the minimum amount of security they needed to defend their infrastructure.

Security Success Factors

If it’s not all about the money, what other factors come into play? Through a double-blind survey of IT decision makers, the report examines various sized organizations’ security prowess through the lens of:

• Budget – How much are organizations spending on security?
• Expertise – Do they have the appropriate staff and skills to comprehensively protect their most critical assets?
• Capability – What other conditions can get in the way of strong security? (For example, architecture, regulations, etc.)
• Influence – Can IT and security buyers influence vendors and partners to help safeguard their infrastructure?

All of these are critical aspects that contribute to a security program – it’s not just about funding. We can’t throw money at a problem without having the right foundation to make it work.

Security Maturity Pyramid

Source: Cisco 2019 Security Bottom Line Survey

Our new report explores fundamental steps organizations can and should be taking to strengthen their security – regardless of how much they have to spend. For example, conducting a cyber risk assessment, or increasing security staff training.

Do you have the right resources and strategies in place to proactively defend your environment? We invite you to explore “The Security Bottom Line” to determine where your organization stands amid your peers, and learn how you can take security to the next level.

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