62 percent of organizations not confident they can prevent data loss

Data exfiltration remains a significant threat and despite large investments in security tools, organizations are not confident they can stop it according to a new report.

The survey of 255 cybersecurity professionals, conducted by Osterman for data privacy and security company BlackFog, finds 62 percent lack confidence in the ability of their security tools to prevent data exfiltration.

This despite the fact that 73 percent recognize the importance of preventing data loss -- up from 39 percent a year ago. Over the last 12 months, organizations surveyed have experienced data exfiltration in different ways, 42 percent have experienced a ransomware attack with no evidence of exfiltration. Where exfiltration has occurred 41 percent attributed it to an employee’s mistake, 33 percent a credential theft, and 31 percent a phishing campaign.

Only two in five respondents (43 percent) are very confident their organization would emerge unscathed from a ransomware attack, with no data exfiltrated.

When asked why existing data loss prevention (DLP) tools are failing, 68 percent of respondents say they are difficult to configure, 60 percent say they're difficult to maintain, and 51 percent say DLP can't prevent data exfiltration.

"Despite significant investment in 'best-in-breed' security tools (more than 59 percent of all organizations have from three to nine tools), it's clear organizations are still struggling with cyberattacks resulting in data exfiltration. The industry's current approach to security isn't working and a new solution is needed," says BlackFog founder and CEO, Dr. Darren Williams. "By targeting multiple parts of the kill chain, anti data exfiltration is able to block the activation and spread of cyberattacks. Since cyberattacks -- especially ransomware -- focus on data theft and extortion, it has become an important technique to thwart modern polymorphic attacks."

You can get the full survey findings on the BlackFog site.

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