Through a survey conducted in the middle of 2012 it was found that the top priority with regards to fighting against information security risks, was stopping careless or unaware employees. 37 percent of respondents identified this as their top priority.
What threats and vulnerabilities have most increased your risk exposure over the past 12 months?
Characteristic
1st priority
2nd priority
3rd priority
Careless or unaware employees
37%
22%
15%
Cyber attacks to steal financial information
33%
23%
21%
Outdated information security controls or architecture
31%
16%
16%
Cyber attacks to disrupt or deface the organization
30%
22%
13%
Fraud
26%
27%
16%
Natural disasters
26%
16%
20%
Malware
22%
26%
24%
Cyber attacks to steal intellectual property or data
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CIOs, CISOs, CFOs, CEOs and other information security executives
Method of interview
Face-to-face interview, online survey
Supplementary notes
* Ernst & Young received feedback from nearly 1,836 CIOs, CISOs, CFOs, CEOs and other information security executives from 64 countries and across all industry sectors.
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EY. (November 22, 2012). What threats and vulnerabilities have most increased your risk exposure over the past 12 months? [Graph]. In Statista. Retrieved June 04, 2025, from https://www.statista.com/statistics/258806/top-information-security-priorities/
EY. "What threats and vulnerabilities have most increased your risk exposure over the past 12 months?." Chart. November 22, 2012. Statista. Accessed June 04, 2025. https://www.statista.com/statistics/258806/top-information-security-priorities/
EY. (2012). What threats and vulnerabilities have most increased your risk exposure over the past 12 months?. Statista. Statista Inc.. Accessed: June 04, 2025. https://www.statista.com/statistics/258806/top-information-security-priorities/
EY. "What Threats and Vulnerabilities Have Most Increased Your Risk Exposure over The past 12 Months?." Statista, Statista Inc., 22 Nov 2012, https://www.statista.com/statistics/258806/top-information-security-priorities/
EY, What threats and vulnerabilities have most increased your risk exposure over the past 12 months? Statista, https://www.statista.com/statistics/258806/top-information-security-priorities/ (last visited June 04, 2025)
What threats and vulnerabilities have most increased your risk exposure over the past 12 months? [Graph], EY, November 22, 2012. [Online]. Available: https://www.statista.com/statistics/258806/top-information-security-priorities/
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