Half of Dutch companies say they fear unauthorized access to customer and company data. Labor shortages are a major bottleneck to effectively addressing security issues. Only 7 percent of companies say they do not worry about their cybersecurity. That's according to the Digital Transformation Monitor, an annual survey by KPN.
Cybersecurity is more important today than ever for businesses and organizations. Those who do not properly shield their data from the outside world run the risk of hackers capturing confidential and privacy-sensitive information. The cyber attack on supplier of authentication software Okta and ransomware attack on several housing associations make painfully clear what the consequences can be when a company's cybersecurity is not in order.
More and more companies are taking cybersecurity seriously, KPN notes. So much so that they are concerned about the security of their data. A recent poll of 650 managers engaged in the digital transformation of their companies showed that half of them are concerned about this. Insufficient knowledge and experience around security are the main obstacle.
Keeping security up-to-date is the biggest challenge for businesses, according to KPN's survey. More than half of small businesses (59 percent) -companies with up to 50 employees- think they are not of interest to hackers. Marieke Snoep, Business Market Director and member of the Board of Directors at KPN, calls that "a misconception. "Cybercriminals are certainly not skipping SMEs."
Almost all Dutch companies take measures to protect their computers, networks and data. Most business owners require their employees to regularly change their passwords (41 percent). Keeping software up-to-date is another common security measure (38 percent). Training employees to recognize fake emails and phishing ranks third (37 percent). Only 3 percent of respondents said they do nothing about information security.
The corona pandemic is the main driver of digital transformation at companies, according to KPN. Snoep saw digitalization gaining momentum over the past two years. "People have started to collaborate more. They have more digital contact and you see incredible change. Companies that had their digital business in place weathered the Corona crisis better than the laggards. Their digital capabilities allowed them to be flexible, creative and resilient."
It is particularly the larger companies where digital transformation is high on the agenda. Offering customers or business partners a "digital first" experience is leading the way. However, realizing this ambition in practice is difficult. Finding skilled people with the necessary knowledge and expertise is a challenge for more and more companies. Four in ten companies say they have no trouble with this.
