A full 49% of defense organizations surveyed expected at least some increase in cybersecurity expenditure, while a similar percentage expected no change, according to the 'Global Defense Survey 2012: Cyber Warfare in the Defense Industry' report. ICD polled 206 global defense industry executives for the survey.
Of respondents from both buyer and supplier organizations, more than 80% viewed cyber warfare as a key segment for growth.
The survey found that 54% of respondents from defense buyer organizations expected the demand for anti-virus, anti-spyware and anti-adware software to increase, while 54% and 50% of respondents expected an increase in demand for encryption technology and firewalls and intrusion detection systems, respectively. Defense suppliers also expected anti-virus, anti-spyware and anti-adware software and firewalls and intrusion detection systems to register the highest demand in the next 12 months.
More than half of respondents from defense organizations considered “lack of awareness” a key barrier in combating cyberattacks, followed by “lack of understanding in transfer technology, skills and intelligence among agencies” and “diverse and continuously evolving threats”. Similarly, supplier respondents considered “diverse and continuously evolving threats”, “dynamic nature of cybercrime” and “lack of awareness” as the key barriers in combating cyberattacks.
Survey results showed that 83% of buyer respondents agreed that cyberattacks affect organizations in terms of “security breach[es] and data leak[s]”. Additionally, 43% of respondents from defense organizations expected cyberattacks to “create confusion and miscommunication in the company”. Similarly, 91% and 74% of respondents from defense contractor organizations agreed that cyberattacks affect organizations in terms of “security breach[es] and data leak[s]”.
The report analyzed how defense buyers’ and suppliers’ cybersecurity budgets, countermeasure strategies and practices, and business planning are set to change in 2012–2013.