A PwC white paper has urged chief executives
to take a more proactive role in tackling cyber security threats
given an increased risk environment worldwide.
The report, The Cyber Savvy CEO –
Delusions of safety?, said private and public sector
leaders need to spearhead efforts to protect their
organisations.
PwC UK information security practice director
William Beer told International Accounting Bulletin cyber
attacks are traditionally pigeon-holed as an IT problem but urges
business leaders to challenge their information security teams to
provide them with more cover.
In collaboration with the report, PwC
published The Global State of Security Survey, which
polled 9,600 respondents from 138 countries.
Almost three quarters of Asian respondents
(74%), more than two-thirds (69%) of European respondents and just
under half of North American respondents (45%) said the increased
risk environment has boosted the importance of their company’s
security function. Despite this, only 35% of UK respondents said
they plan to spend more on information security over the next year,
compared to the global figure of 51%.
“Confidence in the cyber environment can be
misleading and many organisations have delusions of safety.
Operating securely in the cyber environment is among the most
urgent issues facing organisations today and the time has now come
for them to get involved,” Beer said.
