Bromium Security Survey Shows Enterprise Lacks Proper Protection

Legacy security solutions are no longer considered adequate in protecting enterprise assets, according to a new study from endpoint security vendor Bromium.

Solutions including firewalls and antivirus programs received an average B or C rating in Bromium’s “State of Security Report Card,” which surveyed more than 100 security professionals during RSA Conference 2015 in San Francisco. A majority of respondents said their organizations have room for improvement in prioritizing security, with 42 percent of respondents giving their organization a B and 32 percent of respondents giving their company a C grade. Only 8 percent of respondents gave their company an A.

“The results of this survey serve as yet another proof point in a long line of data about the shortcomings of legacy security solutions,” said Clinton Karr, senior security strategist at Bromium, in a statement. “Even if you cling to the belief that AV is not dead, the industry seems to be aware that it is in critical condition and is putting more stock in next-generation solutions.”

When asked about legacy security solutions such as firewalls and antivirus programs, 42 percent of respondents gave firewalls a B grade, with 36 percent awarding antivirus solutions with a C grade. About 26 percent of respondents gave firewalls a failing grade, and 25 percent gave antivirus a failing grade.

Next-generation security solutions faired moderately better among respondents, with 58 percent awarding next-gen firewalls with a B. Additionally, 54 percent gave advanced threat protection/network sandboxes a B, and 64 percent awarded the same grade to endpoint isolation/sandboxing/host monitoring solutions. Forty-four percent gave threat intelligence solutions a B.

Bromium also asked respondents whether their organizations would benefit from information-sharing initiatives and whether they would be wiling to participate. About 78 percent of respondents said they would benefit from information-sharing initiatives, but only 48 percent said they would be willing to actually participate—which shows professionals are wary of how their data would be used, according to the study.

While earning a B or C grade in college is certainly acceptable, the same cannot be said for solutions designed to protect sensitive enterprise information, especially if that organization deals with healthcare records or other confidential data. It’s critical for both companies and individuals to have proper security measures in place to protect sensitive information and reduce the probability of cyberattacks, no matter what the data at risk may be. While there is no one tried-and-true solution that solves all security problems, being cognizant of security and making a conscious effort to protect one’s assets can go a long way in deterring cybercriminals from obtaining private data.