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.”

BlackFog is the category-defining vendor in anti data exfiltration (ADX). Founded in 2015, the company invented ADX on the thesis that the endpoint is the only control point capable of stopping data from leaving an organization, an architectural bet that has now been validated across three exfiltration vectors: ransomware, shadow AI, and autonomous AI agents. BlackFog’s endpoint-native platform protects more than 500 enterprises, government agencies, and critical infrastructure operators worldwide. 

The company is the publisher of the annual State of Ransomware report and the BlackFog/Sapio Shadow AI Research, the most-cited primary research in the category. BlackFog’s recognition includes the teiss Awards 2026, the AI Excellence Award 2026, the Cybersecurity Excellence Awards 2026, and the Cybersecurity Breakthrough Award. Headquartered in San Francisco with international operations in London and Belfast. Learn more at 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.