Skills Shortage and Integration Challenges Halt Cybersecurity Adoption

Cheyenne, Wyoming, December 5, 2022 – BlackFog, the leader in on-device data privacy, data security and ransomware prevention, has today released research findings which highlight that a skills shortage is halting cybersecurity adoption and the practical challenges that organizations face in managing an increasingly complex threat landscape. According to research, 50% of surveyed IT Security Decision Makers in the US and UK had been prevented from adopting a new cybersecurity solution due to integration issues or challenges with legacy infrastructure. Almost a third, 32%, stated that a lack of skills within their team to support a new product would also be a factor preventing them from deploying new solutions.

The research also revealed that security teams are now using, on average, 20 tools to combat cybersecurity threats with 22% of those surveyed using more than 31 tools.

At a time when many organizations are reviewing budgets for next year, the research also revealed that a lack of investment in cybersecurity could also impact the tenure of individuals in the team. Nearly a quarter, 22%, of CISOs and IT Security Decision Makers stated they would consider leaving their current role due to lack of budget for investing in the latest technology. The same number, 22%, reported that securing additional budget to implement technology was one of the biggest priorities for the first six months in their role.

It does seem, however, that teams are reaching a level of maturity in terms of the strategies to source and select the right tools with the overwhelming majority, 89%, feeling they can clearly determine the right new solutions to solve their organization’s cybersecurity needs.

Commenting on the findings Dr. Darren Williams, CEO and Founder, BlackFog said:

“Managing an increasingly complex attack surface creates huge challenges for IT security leaders. In an attempt to stay ahead of cybercrime many leaders make the mistake of adding more solutions to try and solve the problem, when in fact, adding more technologies often brings new problems, employee bandwidth in particular, as products need to be managed to be effective. Security leaders need to look at new ways to address the problems they face and prioritize tools which offer a truly innovative approach to their biggest security challenges. It’s about making smart choices which make the best use of their budget and integrate with multiple security layers.”

Founded in 2015, BlackFog is a global cybersecurity company that has pioneered on-device anti data exfiltration (ADX) technology to protect companies from global security threats such as ransomware, spyware, malware, phishing, unauthorized data collection and profiling. Its software monitors enterprise compliance with global privacy regulations and prevents cyberattacks across all endpoints.

BlackFog uses behavioral analysis to preemptively prevent hackers from exploiting vulnerabilities in enterprise security systems and data structures. BlackFog received recognition as a Gold award winner in the Cybersecurity Excellence Awards for Best Data Security and Best Ransomware Protection North America, as well as the Bronze award in Most Innovative Cybersecurity Company and Best Cybersecurity Start-up in 2022. BlackFog was named a 2020 HOT Vendor in Privacy and Security by Aragon Research.

BlackFog’s preventative approach to security recognizes the limitations of existing perimeter defense techniques and neutralizes attacks before they happen at multiple points in their lifecycle. Trusted by corporations all over the world, BlackFog is redefining modern cyber security practices. For more information visit https://www.blackfog.com

The results from this survey are from an online survey Sapio Research fielded on behalf of BlackFog with IT Cybersecurity Leaders and Decision Makers in companies of over 500 employees across the UK (200) and US (205). The research was conducted in August and September 2022.