IT and Security Teams Increasingly United in Battle Against Sophisticated Cyberthreats, Research Finds

Rhea-AI Summary

Commvault's new report highlights the increasing collaboration between ITOps and security teams to combat cyber attacks. The report shows that 99% of respondents indicated a growing connection between ITOps and security, with 64% stating shared security goals and 70% having joint processes in place. However, only 48% have established joint processes to mitigate or recover from an incident.

Insights

Cybersecurity Expert

The integration of ITOps and security teams highlighted in the report signifies a pivotal shift in organizational strategy towards cyber resilience. Traditionally, the division between these entities could lead to slower response times and fragmented approaches to cybersecurity. However, the move towards a more unified approach is indicative of the evolving threat landscape, where AI-driven cyber threats require swift and cohesive action.

From a cybersecurity perspective, the collaboration between ITOps and security teams, as well as the involvement of C-suite executives, is essential. It ensures that cybersecurity is not just a technical issue but a top-tier strategic concern. The report suggests a trend towards an enterprise-wide understanding of cyber risks and a proactive stance on cybersecurity, which is critical for maintaining business continuity and safeguarding sensitive data.

Despite the progress, the report indicates areas for improvement. The fact that less than half of the respondents have established joint processes for incident mitigation or recovery suggests a gap in operational readiness. This gap could potentially be exploited by cyber adversaries, emphasizing the need for continuous improvement in cyber resilience strategies.

Data Protection Specialist

The findings regarding data protection fragmentation and the move towards cyber resiliency are crucial for businesses operating in hybrid cloud environments. Data protection strategies are no longer just about backup and recovery; they encompass a broader scope that includes incident response and mitigation.

For organizations, the establishment of shared goals and joint processes between ITOps and security teams is a significant step towards achieving a more resilient posture. The ability to effectively respond to and recover from incidents is directly tied to how well these teams can coordinate their efforts. The report's indication that 70% of connected teams have joint daily operation procedures is a positive sign, suggesting that these organizations are better positioned to protect their data assets against AI-driven threats.

However, the finding that only 48% have established joint incident mitigation or recovery processes highlights a vulnerability. This underscores the need for a comprehensive data protection strategy that includes not only prevention but also a well-defined, collaborative response to incidents.

IT Management Consultant

The report underscores a strategic organizational shift that has implications for IT governance and management. The breaking down of silos between ITOps and security teams reflects a broader trend in IT management towards cross-functional collaboration and agility.

For IT management, the alignment of goals and processes between these teams is crucial for efficient operations and the ability to scale security measures in line with organizational growth. The involvement of C-suite executives, particularly CIOs, CSOs and CISOs, in this alignment process is indicative of the strategic importance of IT operations and cybersecurity in the current business environment.

The report's findings suggest that while many organizations are on the right path, there is still a need for continued focus on integrating ITOps and security processes. This integration is vital for creating a resilient IT infrastructure capable of countering sophisticated AI-driven threats, which are becoming increasingly common in the cyber threat landscape.

New report from Commvault and Futurum shows organizations rallying around AI to counter AI-driven threats in 2024

TINTON FALLS, N.J., Jan. 25, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Commvault, a leading provider of cyber resilience and data protection solutions for hybrid cloud organizations, today released a new report that found the traditional silos between ITOps and security teams are beginning to break down, as organizations realize the importance of increased collaboration to combat the onslaught of more sophisticated cyber attacks.

Commissioned in partnership with The Futurum Group, the report, "Overcoming Data Protection Fragmentation for Cyber-Resiliency," surveyed over 200 C-Suite and senior-level IT executives (more than half of which were CIOs, CSOs, and CISOs) in the Americas, EMEA, and Asia-Pacific regarding their cyber resilience positions.

According to the report, nearly all (99%) respondents indicated that the relationship between ITOps and security has grown more connected over the past 12 months. For those who described the relationship between ITOps and security as "connected," 64% stated they now have shared goals for maintaining the company's security and 70% stated they have joint processes and procedures in place for daily operations. However, there is still work to do. For example, only 48% stated they have established joint processes and procedures in place to mitigate or recover from an incident.

"Synergies between ITOps, security teams and the C-suite has never been more crucial as cyber criminals are deploying more sophisticated attacks powered by AI," said Javier Dominguez, Chief Information Security Officer, Commvault. "But, with 19 cyber attacks every second, breaches are inevitable. It's critical that ITOps and security teams jointly think about recovery as part of an end-to-end security practice tied to the NIST framework."

Using AI to Advance Security

AI is expected to be a major theme in 2024 with more than two-thirds (68%) of respondents indicating the technology will boost their security efforts by identifying and responding to threats more quickly and accurately. Respondents identified several ways AI could improve their organization's security posture, including:

• Augmenting and automating employee training and security awareness (67%)
• Increasing efficiency by automating day-to-day operational processes associated with data protection (66%)
• Augmenting user authentication and access control (57%)
• Augmenting compliance monitoring and reporting (52%)

Data Fragmentation Creates Cyber Resilience Challenges

Organizations continue to grapple with fragmented data protection solutions, which not only creates management complexities but cyber resilience challenges. More than 90% of respondents say fragmentation of data protection tools has a direct, negative impact on their organization's cyber resiliency and 54% indicated that fragmentation hinders their organization's cyber resiliency efforts.

"Utilizing a host of fragmented data protection products can drive up costs, create management nightmares, give bad actors more avenues to exploit, and slow down recovery," said Krista Macomber, Research Director, The Futurum Group. "This research serves as a good reminder that organizations should consider a modern platform that can reduce fragmentation, protect a vast array of workloads across any location, predict threats faster, and speed up response and recovery times."

To review the full survey results, click here.

Methodology
Commvault sought to learn how data sprawl and fragmentation of data protection tools are threatening organizations' overall cyber-resiliency. To facilitate this research, Commvault commissioned The Futurum Group to conduct an independent effort in finding answers to these important issues.

The Futurum Group surveyed 205 C-Suite, VP and Director-level IT Operations and Security professionals. Surveys were collected in September 2023. Specifically, 84% of respondents held C-Level titles, 18% held security-related titles, and 14% held VP/IT-Director level titles. We focused on the C-Suite to get the view from the top, given the visibility and critical importance of cyber-resiliency. Well over half (57%) of respondents came from organizations with 1,000-5,000 employees. The major geographical regions (the Americas, EMEA, and APAC) were fairly evenly represented.

About Commvault
Commvault (NASDAQ: CVLT) is the gold standard in cyber resilience, helping more than 100,000 organizations to uncover, take action, and rapidly recover from cyberattacks—keeping data safe and businesses resilient and moving forward. Today, Commvault offers the only cyber resilience platform that combines the best data security and rapid recovery at enterprise scale across any workload, anywhere with advanced AI-driven automation—at the lowest TCO.

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FAQ

What is the title of Commvault's new report?

The report is titled 'Overcoming Data Protection Fragmentation for Cyber-Resiliency'.

Who commissioned the report?

The report was commissioned in partnership with The Futurum Group.

How many IT executives were surveyed for the report?

Over 200 C-Suite and senior-level IT executives were surveyed, with more than half being CIOs, CSOs, and CISOs.

What percentage of respondents indicated a growing connection between ITOps and security?

99% of respondents indicated a growing connection between ITOps and security.

What percentage of respondents stated they have established joint processes and procedures in place to mitigate or recover from an incident?

Only 48% of respondents stated they have established joint processes and procedures in place to mitigate or recover from an incident.