Cisco Study Reveals Region’s Top Cybersecurity Considerations for 2021
Cisco has today published its 2021 Security Outcomes Study, offering actionable insights for practitioners deciding where to focus their efforts in the year ahead.
The independently analyzed survey of 4,800 security, IT and privacy professionals across 25 countries including 1,600 respondents from the Europe, Middle East, Africa and Russia (EMEAR), pulling back the curtain on specific practices which foster greater security management in the region. The results offer security teams a blueprint for success regarding managed threat intelligence, while also enabling the business and operating efficiently.
The survey revealed that change is a primary factor in cybersecurity success. On average, programs in EMEAR that include a well-integrated technology stack are 14.3% more likely to succeed. Globally, Cisco’s study has found that the proper integration of technology also influences the recruitment and retention of talent, as security teams want to work with the best technology and avoid burnout.
Security integration is also the most significant factor in establishing a culture that the entire organization embraces. Instead of traditional security training programs, which did not correlate with positive culture, Cisco recommends investing in technology that is flexible and frictionless.
Other key findings from the report at an EMEAR level include:
“Security practitioners across EMEAR need to make fast, informed decisions – especially in today’s increasingly digital workplaces. Yet they are often armed with dozens of tools from multiple vendors, requiring short-term fixes and workarounds to get them working together. This creates complexity, cost, and unexpected overheads,” said Fady Younes, cybersecurity director, Middle East and Africa, Cisco.
“Cisco’s 2021 Security Outcomes Study helps teams prioritize practices that not only secure the business, but also play a significant role in enabling its growth and success by leveraging the power of digitization and automation. Even in the face of an ever-changing threat landscape and shrinking budgets, successful security management outcomes are possible.”
Cisco Launches New Research, Highlighting Seismic Gap in Companies' Preparedness for AI
Cisco Study Reveals only 14% of Global Organizations Are Fully Prepared to Deploy and Leverage AI, with More than Half Admitting Serious Concerns about the Impact to Business if They Fail to Act in the Next 12 Months
News Summary:
SAN JOSE, Calif., Nov. 14, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- A mere 14% of organizations globally are fully prepared to deploy and leverage Artificial Intelligence (AI)-powered technologies, according to Cisco's (NASDAQ: CSCO) inaugural AI Readiness Index released today. The Index, which surveyed over 8,000 global companies, was developed in response to the accelerating adoption of AI, a generational shift that is impacting almost every area of business and daily life. The report highlights companies' preparedness to utilize and deploy AI, showcasing critical gaps across key business pillars and infrastructures that pose serious risks for the near future.
The new research finds that while AI adoption has been slowly progressing for decades, the advancements in Generative AI, coupled with public availability in the past year, are driving greater attention to the challenges, changes and new possibilities posed by the technology. While 84% of respondents believe AI will have a significant impact on their business operations, it also raises new issues around data privacy and security. The Index findings show that companies experience the most challenges when it comes to leveraging AI alongside their data. In fact, 81% of respondents admit that this is due to data existing in silos across their organizations.
However, there is also positive news. Findings from the Index revealed that companies are taking many proactive measures to prepare for an AI-centric future. When it came to building AI strategies, almost one-third of respondents were categorized as Pacesetters (fully prepared), which indicates a significant level of focus by C-Suite executives and IT leadership. This could be driven by the fact that most (97%) respondents said the urgency to deploy AI technologies in their organization has increased in the past six months, with IT infrastructure and cybersecurity reported as the top priority areas for AI deployments.
"The race to AI Readiness is on, with organizations under intense pressure to shift from strategic planning to execution mode in order to capitalize on the transformative potential that AI represents," said Liz Centoni, Executive Vice President and General Manager, Applications and Chief Strategy Officer, Cisco. "To realize the benefit of AI-powered products and services, companies need solutions that secure and observe their AI models and toolchains to ensure performance, secure sensitive data and systems, and deliver trustworthy and responsible AI outcomes."
Key Findings
Alongside the stark finding that overall, only 14% of companies are Pacesetters (fully prepared), the research found that more than half (52%) of companies globally are considered Laggards (unprepared) at 4%, or Followers (limited preparedness) at 48%. Some of the most significant findings include:
Cisco AI Readiness Index
The new Cisco AI Readiness Index is based on a double-blind survey of 8,161 private sector business and IT leaders across 30 markets, conducted by an independent third-party surveying respondents from companies with 500 or more employees. The Index assessed respondents' AI readiness across six key pillars: strategy, infrastructure, data, talent, governance, and culture.
Companies were examined on 49 different metrics across these six pillars to determine a readiness score for each, as well as an overall readiness score for the respondents' organization. Each indicator was assigned an individual weightage based on its relative importance to achieving readiness for the applicable pillar. Based on their overall score, Cisco has identified four groups at different levels of organizational readiness – Pacesetters (fully prepared), Chasers (moderately prepared), Followers (limited preparedness), and Laggards (unprepared).
Additional Resources:
About CiscoCisco (NASDAQ: CSCO) is the worldwide technology leader that securely connects everything to make anything possible. Our purpose is to power an inclusive future for all by helping our customers reimagine their applications, power hybrid work, secure their enterprise, transform their infrastructure, and meet their sustainability goals. Discover more on The Newsroom and follow us on X at @Cisco.
Cisco and the Cisco logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of Cisco and/or its affiliates in the U.S. and other countries. A listing of Cisco's trademarks can be found at www.cisco.com/go/trademarks. Third-party trademarks mentioned are the property of their respective owners. The use of the word partner does not imply a partnership relationship between Cisco and any other company.
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SOURCE Cisco Systems, Inc.
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