08 Jun Delinea Research Finds 63% of UAE and KSA IT Security Decision Makers Think Leadership Overlook Cybersecurity
Delinea, a leading provider of solutions that seamlessly extend Privileged Access Management (PAM), today announced findings from a global survey of IT Security Decision Makers (ITSDMs) from across the globe – including the UAE and Saudi Arabia – revealing the impact of misalignment between the cybersecurity function and wider business.
Asked about the Board and C-Suite’s understanding of cybersecurity across the organization, only 37% of respondents in the UAE and Saudi Arabia think their company’s leadership has a sound understanding of cybersecurity’s role as a business enabler. Over a third (34%) of respondents believe that it is considered important only in terms of compliance and regulatory demands, while one in five said it is not seen as a business priority. Furthermore, just over half of respondents (55%) believe that there is a “strong alignment” between business and cybersecurity objectives.
The disconnect appears to have caused at least one negative consequence to 94% of regional respondents’ organizations, with more than a quarter (28%) also reporting it resulted in an increased number of successful cyber-attacks at their company.
The impact of misaligned goals on the cybersecurity posture of organisations in the UAE and Saudi Arabia was wide-ranging as it contributed to delays in investments (42%), delays in strategic decision-making (41%), and unnecessary increases in spending (33%).
There were also consequences for the individuals themselves, with 31% of regional respondents reporting it impacted the whole security team in terms of stress. Furthermore, global economic uncertainty has worsened the situation with the majority of those surveyed (61%) stating that aligning cybersecurity and broader business goals is becoming more difficult to achieve as a result.