63% of cybersecurity experts in India believe their job is more stressful now than it was five years ago according to an astounding report by ISACA. 
In keeping with this attitude toward daunting risks, according to 29% of Indian respondents, cybersecurity attacks are becoming more frequent in their firms. The most common attack types are malware (12 percent), denial of service (11 percent), social engineering (16 percent), and zero-day exploits (11 percent).
Furthermore, a significant portion of Indian respondents (28%) anticipate a cyberattack on their company within the next year, and a majority (57%) express high confidence in their team’s capacity to identify and address cyberthreats.
Based on information gathered from 122 cybersecurity experts in India, the following are the main causes of this elevated stress level:
- An increasingly complex threat landscape (87 percent)
- Insufficiently trained staff (54 percent)
- Worsening hiring/retention challenges (53 percent)
- Lack of prioritization of cybersecurity risks (44 percent).
- Low budget (40 percent)
Cyber Budgets Are Inadequately Supported
Despite an increasingly complex threat landscape, the report shows cybersecurity budgets and staffing are not keeping pace. Of those surveyed, 47% believe that cyber budgets are inadequately supported, while 49% anticipate budget increases in the upcoming year.
Regarding hiring, 46 percent of companies with headquarters in India claim that their cybersecurity teams are understaffed. Indian respondents also report that:
- 30 percent of organizations have no open positions.
- 48 percent of organizations have non-entry level cybersecurity positions open.
- 24 percent have entry-level positions open.
Skills and Retention Trends
In India, employers give preference to those with prior practical experience (84 percent) and those with degrees (51%), when hiring for available positions. According to Indian respondents, cloud computing (48 percent) and security control implementation (40 percent) are the two areas where cybersecurity experts most need to improve their skills.
For the more than half of survey respondents in India (66 percent) that reported having difficulty retaining qualified cyber candidates, the main reasons for leaving included limited promotion and development opportunities (49 percent), poor financial incentives (42 percentage), high work stress levels (39 percent), lack of management support (39 percent), and limited remote work possibilities (39 percent).
Key Comments
“Social engineering attacks, such as phishing, are a growing concern for organizations as human error remains a major factor in data breaches,” said Mike Mellor, VP of Cyber Operations at Adobe. “With the increasing frequency and sophistication of these attacks, it’s essential for organizations to adopt secure authentication methods to strengthen their defenses. Adobe believes that fostering a deep security culture among all employees through anti-phishing training, combined with stronger controls such as zero-trust networks protected by phishing-resistant authentication, are essential in safeguarding any organization.”
“Despite the increase in the awareness of cybersecurity threats, many organizations in India and even globally are still underfunding their cybersecurity budgets,” said RV Raghu, director, Versatilist Consulting India Pvt Ltd, and ISACA India Ambassador. “With 87% of Indian cybersecurity professionals identifying the complex threat landscape as a top stressor and 40% pointing to underfunded budgets, it is evident that organizations in India need to do more to support their cybersecurity teams.”
“Hiring challenges combined with the increasing complexity of the attacks that we face today are putting a lot of pressure on cybersecurity teams. “It is time for organizations to rethink their approach, and focus on better resource allocation, enhanced training, and support systems to build resilient cybersecurity teams that are capable of withstanding future threats, said RV Raghu.”
“Employers should home in on the occupational stress their digital defenders are facing. This is an opportunity for employers to explore ways to support staff before burnout and attrition occur,” says Jon Brandt, ISACA Director, Professional Practices and Innovation. “Employees want to feel valued. As the leadership adage goes, take care of your people and they’ll take care of you.”
The newly released 2024 State of Cybersecurity survey report from ISACA which is an annual study, sponsored by Adobe, showcases the feedback of more than 1,800 cybersecurity professionals worldwide on topics related to the cybersecurity workforce and threat landscape.
To Access A Complimentary Copy of ISACA’s 2024 State of Cybersecurity Survey Report, CLICK HERE
