{"id":2164,"date":"2018-09-05T09:37:00","date_gmt":"2018-09-05T13:37:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/solutionsreview.com\/security-information-event-management\/?p=2164"},"modified":"2018-10-05T12:14:50","modified_gmt":"2018-10-05T16:14:50","slug":"c-suite-executives-professionals-clash-cybersecurity","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/solutionsreview.com\/security-information-event-management\/c-suite-executives-professionals-clash-cybersecurity\/","title":{"rendered":"C-Suite Executives and IT Professionals Clash Over Cybersecurity"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"C-Suite<\/p>\n

On average, enterprises risk losing nearly $4 million in the event they suffer a data breach. Yet despite the high risks of the cybersecurity game, C-suite executives continue to clash with their enterprise\u2019s IT professionals. <\/span><\/p>\n

Such disagreements can\u2019t continue if enterprises are to face hackers on even footing. As the cybersecurity paradigm shifts from a focus on prevention to a focus on detection, enterprises face hard choices on which network areas and databases require the most visibility and monitoring from their SIEM or security analytics solutions.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Attempting to maintain constant vigilance over the entire network will stretch the solution\u2014and the security team\u2014thin. Further, everyone from IT professional to C-suite executive is at risk from the fallout of a data breach. Without developing some common ground, the clash between C-suite executives and IT professionals creates security holes or neglected areas hackers love to exploit. <\/span><\/p>\n

From where is the disagreement between C-suite executives and IT professionals coming? And what can be done to mitigate the problem?<\/span><\/p>\n

A Matter of Confidence<\/b><\/h3>\n

Security analytics solution provider <\/span>Varonis<\/span><\/a> recently surveyed 300 C-suite executives and IT security professionals across the U.S. and Europe. The results are shocking\u2014namely because the IT professionals are far more optimistic than the executives. <\/span><\/p>\n

96% of the surveyed security experts express confidence that their security policies and procedures matched the risks their enterprise faces. Only 73% of the C-suite executives feel the same. 91% of IT professionals believe their cybersecurity stance was improving. Only 69% of C-suite executives feel the same. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

These discrepancies raise the question of who in the enterprise is truly in the best position to determine the digital risks their business is likely to face: those looking with a bird\u2019s eye view or those in the trenches. Additionally, the disagreement asks who can determine if the enterprise is succeeding in cybersecurity…and what success looks like. <\/span><\/p>\n

Of course, the answers to these hypothetical questions will be individual to your enterprise. <\/span><\/p>\n

What Should Be Prioritized? <\/b>\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n

Top level executives and IT security experts agree: data loss and data theft stand as the top digital threats confronting their enterprises. However, they disagree about the significance and danger of other threats. 30% IT security pros believe ransomware is a top concern. By contrast, 32% of executives cite data alteration as a high-priority issue. <\/span><\/p>\n

Security teams also tend to display more anxiety for their enterprise\u2019s financial data, whereas executives worry far more about their employee data. Both are lucrative targets. This isn\u2019t an idle disagreement\u2014security analytics and SIEM function most optimally with prioritized network areas and databases to monitor. But where should (or can) they monitor if the enterprise can\u2019t reach consensus?<\/span><\/p>\n

What is the Frequency? <\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n

Perhaps one of the most dangerous discoveries of the Varonis survey is 94% of IT professionals believe their C-suite executives heed their advice concerning cybersecurity. However, only 76% of C-suite executives say they take their security team\u2019s recommendations to hear. <\/span><\/p>\n

A disagreement is one thing, but not listening to the experts you have on hand is asking for hackers to take advantage of your enterprise\u2019s digital weaknesses. <\/span><\/p>\n

Calming the Clash in Your Enterprise<\/b><\/h3>\n

If such a clash between your C-suite executives and IT professionals exists in your enterprise, it\u2019s high time to bring that conflict to an end. Here are some recommendations on how: <\/span><\/p>\n