New Cisco Security Study Shows Canadian Businesses Not Prepared For Security Threats

60% of Canadian businesses don't have a security strategy in place or are unsure how to prepare their networks for evolving mobile and cloud-based models

According to a new study by Cisco, Canadian companies are not equipped to respond to threats to the security of their networks. The study, which combines the views of businesses and consumers about the safety at work of Canada, also found that there are differences between the production of large and small companies.Respondents were asked questions about security policies, practices and recent cyber attacks on our business, including preparation for the safety of the new IT usage models such as mobile applications and cloud-based.

Show Cisco findings indicate that many Canadian companies are working without a safety strategy for the network, so they pitifully unprepared to the new opportunities to take the Internet of Everything (OIE) and so they are very vulnerable to threats of loss or theft of data.With lead IOE connects people, processes, data, and things that the number and nature of the attack continue to grow exponentially, driving the mandate that safety is a priority for companies in today's connected world day.

Key Findings

Canadian Businesses Are Unprepared For Future Security Threats

• 6 out of 10 businesses either do not have a security strategy in place, and/or are unsure whether their security strategy accounts for an evolving data centre and IT consumption model, or do not have a strategy to prepare for these changes.
• Nearly one in 10 (8%) of Canadian businesses overall are still unsure whether they experienced a security threat, attack or breach on their network in the last 12 months.
• 15% of Canadian businesses still do not have a security strategy in place.
• 1 in 5 (22%) Canadian businesses report they have experienced a threat, attack or breach in the last 12 months.
• Canadian businesses with less than 100 employees are the most likely to not have a security strategy (26%), while mid-sized businesses are the least likely to have a strategy in place for changing IT consumption models (25%).
• One in three (31%) of Canada’s largest companies are unsure whether their IT security strategy accounts for evolving data centre and IT consumption models

Canadian Businesses Are Slow To Protect Company Data On Employee-Owned Devices

• Less than 60% of Canadian businesses have IT solutions in place to protect company data on employee-owned devices.
• Nearly a quarter (24%) of employed Canadians use a personal device for work despite being employed by a company that does not allow this practice. Another 11% do so without knowing if it is allowed by their employer or not.
• The Canadian businesses most prepared to protect company data on employee-owned devices are those with more than 1000 employees (64%). Those least prepared are businesses with less than 100 employees (44%).
• Almost half (48%) of employed Canadians believe they are allowed to bring and use personal devices on the corporate network, while 57% of Canadian businesses believe they have IT solutions in place to protect data on employee-devices.

Supporting Quotes

Ahmed Etman, General Manager of Cyber Security, Cisco Canada:

It’s concerning  to see such overall confusion about security today, especially given all the new connections between people, processes, data, and things, but the good news is Canadian businesses have the right knowledge to make changes to their current predicament, and realize the value of the Internet of Everything. Our findings indicate 95% of Canadian businesses know whether or not they protect company data on employee-owned devices. The challenge now becomes changing security practices so they have the right level of protection for our connected world.