US Grows ‘More Pessimistic’ on Cybersecurity: CompTIA Survey

“Workforce professionals” are more pessimistic than a year ago about the “general state” of cybersecurity in the U.S. economy, reported CompTIA Tuesday. The association canvassed 400 U.S. respondents online in Q3, finding 69% say cybersecurity was improving, down from 80% in its 2020 survey, it said: “Prolonged pandemic uncertainty, ransomware attacks on critical infrastructure, and supply chain attacks rippling through the business landscape were all likely contributors to a more pessimistic sentiment.” CompTIA found “less satisfaction” on how corporate America was handling cyberthreats, it said. In 2020, 82% of professionals said they were satisfied with their company’s approach to cybersecurity, dropping to 70% in this year’s survey, it said: “Given everything happening on the world stage, practices that were previously considered good enough might not be cutting it anymore.” The numbers “tell the tale” about why cybersecurity has become a “top priority” for U.S. enterprises, said CompTIA. “Attacks are coming at a ferocious pace, and a single data breach could cost a company millions of dollars along with massive amounts of time.” The “ultimate threat” from bad actors is a ruined corporate reputation “that can damage business prospects for years,” it said.