Loss of life, a concern for a fifth of CISOs fearing targeted cyberattacks, survey shows. Sweden ranks first

By Razvan Muresan on Jul 17, 2017 |

​Some 75 percent of US CISOs state the worst consequences of an attacker gaining access to their companies’ most valuable asset would be the financial cost and reputational damage. However, few say the financial cost could lead to bankruptcy 35%.

In Sweden, 65 percent of those surveyed expect cyber criminals accessing prized assets could lead to the downfall of the company. Reputational costs are perceived most as a main threat in the UK, where almost 80 percent of respondents have mentioned it as the most dangerous risk to their business, almost triple the percentage of Italian IT execs.

Even if it sounds alarming, loss of life – mentioned by 39 percent of the Swedes - is a severe yet real consequence of an APT. Targeted attacks could also aim at critical national or transnational infrastructures (i.e. nuclear power plants, national energy grids, urban water supplies, transportation management systems, traffic controller systems, hospitals and other healthcare facilities). In a modern environment where automation has become a reality, targeted attacks can practically paralyze countries and, unfortunately, lead to human casualties.
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