A new survey conducted by computer security company Thycotic at the annual RSA conference says a majority of 200 security industry respondents believe the U.S. is vulnerable to cyberterrorism.
The company said Tuesday the study found 63 percent of security professionals believe terrorists can launch a major cyber-attack on the U.S. within a year, while 92 percent believe most U.S. companies need tighter security measures against cyberterrorism.
“Some may say the whole discussion surrounding the threats associated with cyberterrorism is hyped; however, our findings show that 72 percent actually feel that the topic isn’t hyped enough and that more needs to be done to protect companies and country as a whole from these types of vulnerabilities,” said Jonathan Cogley, Thycotic founder and chief technology officer.
“Reexamining the type of security technology used to protect both the U.S. government and private sectors is essential to keeping our country safe,” Cogley added.
Half of respondents said they think private companies are more vulnerable than government agencies while 42 percent believe the reverse, the company said.
Eighty-nine percent reported a belief that both the military and private companies need to focus more on enhancing defense against cyberterrorism.