Cyber risk concerns drive zero trust adoption, survey finds

May 31, 2024, 5:18 pm EDT | Abigail Opiah

Cyber risk concerns drive zero trust adoption, survey finds

Two-thirds of organizations consider cyber risk concerns as the primary drivers for implementing a zero trust strategy, Entrust Cybersecurity Institute unveils.

Its latest survey findings on zero trust adoption and encryption trends for 2024 was conducted by the Ponemon Institute.

Other results from the survey finds that while 60 percent of organizations report strong senior leadership support for zero trust, they still face significant barriers due to a lack of skills and budget. This disparity underscores the need for better resource allocation to match leadership support.

“With the rise of costly breaches and AI-generated deepfakes, synthetic identity fraud, ransomware gangs, and cyber warfare, the threat landscape is intensifying at an alarming rate,” says Samantha Mabey, Director of Solutions Marketing at Entrust.

“This means that implementing a zero trust security practice is an urgent business imperative – and the security of organizations’ and their customers’ data, networks, and identities depends on it.”

The report also reveals that zero trust adoption is gaining momentum globally, with 61 percent of organizations starting their zero trust journey. However, only 48 percent of U.S. organizations have done so, indicating a vulnerability in Western regions despite awareness of the threats.

The findings show a shift in the motivation behind security investments as 41 percent of respondents prioritize security to mitigate data breaches rather than merely to comply with regulations, marking a notable change in organizational attitudes towards cybersecurity investments.

Additionally, 46 percent of respondents cite hackers exposing sensitive data as their top security concern, followed by system malfunctions and unmanaged certificates. Notably, for the first time in eight years, employee mistakes did not rank as a top threat.

A shortage of skilled personnel (50 percent), lack of clear ownership (47 percent), and inadequate staffing (46 percent) are the main challenges CISOs face in achieving effective credential management.