In 2024, large organizations have made significant strides in strengthening their cybersecurity workforce, as detailed in the Cyber Benchmark 2024 report by Wavestone. The report highlights that companies with over $1 billion in revenues now have one cybersecurity expert dedicated to protecting every 1,086 employees, compared to 1,285 employees in 2023. This increase represents a 15% improvement in cybersecurity staffing within these organizations.

The report also delves into the specific sectors leading the way in cybersecurity workforce deployment. Financial businesses, for example, stand out with an impressive average of one cybersecurity expert per 267 employees. On the other hand, industrial groups have an average of one cybersecurity expert for every 1,390 employees. These figures shed light on the varying levels of cybersecurity emphasis across different industries.

Gerome Billois, a Wavestone partner overseeing cybersecurity and digital trust, commended large enterprises for recognizing the importance of building robust cybersecurity teams. He noted that many organizations have launched initiatives to enhance talent retention, underlining a positive shift towards prioritizing cybersecurity within these companies.

Furthermore, the report defines a cybersecurity expert as an individual who devotes at least half of their time to cybersecurity tasks. It also limits the count of employees considered to those with regular access to the organization’s IT systems, excluding profiles like network administrators who may not frequently engage in cybersecurity activities.

One key observation from the Cyber Benchmark 2024 report is the stabilization of overall cybersecurity maturity at 53%, a slight increase from the previous year. Billois emphasized that organizations have transitioned from implementing basic cybersecurity measures to a phase of marginal progress in enhancing their defenses. The widespread adoption of solutions like endpoint detection and response (EDR) as well as multi-factor authentication (MFA) has contributed to better resilience against ransomware attacks.

Despite the progress in certain areas, the report highlights ongoing challenges, such as third-party security and industrial system (ICS) security. Companies are encouraged to focus on these vulnerable areas to further elevate their cybersecurity posture.

Moreover, the report points out specific advancements in cloud security, which saw a 5% increase in maturity level, and data security, which improved by 4% compared to the previous year. Large organizations are now extending their security measures to cover cloud services and leveraging advancements in platform administration security to mitigate risks effectively.

As large companies continue to prioritize cybersecurity efforts, it is evident that investing in a skilled cybersecurity workforce and implementing robust security measures are paramount in safeguarding valuable data and networks. The Cyber Benchmark report serves as a valuable resource for organizations looking to benchmark their cybersecurity practices against industry standards and best practices outlined by authorities like the US National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and the ISO 27001 standard.

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