New IBM Study Finds Cybersecurity Incident Responders Have Strong Sense of Service as Threats Cross Over to Physical World

IBM Security announced the results of a global survey that examines the critical role of cybersecurity incident responders at a time when the physical and digital worlds are increasingly converging. The study, released during National Cybersecurity Awareness Month, found that incident responders surveyed – the frontline responders to cyberattacks – are primarily driven by a strong sense of duty to protect others; a responsibility that’s increasingly challenged by the surge of disruptive attacks, from the proliferation of ransomware attacks to the recent rise of wiper malware.

Organizations that are essential to the global economy, supply chains and the movement of goods have become prime targets for disruptive attacks. In 2021 IBM Security X-Force observed cyberattacks against energy companies quadrupling from the year prior, while manufacturers saw more ransomware attacks than any other industry – from food manufacturers to medical devices, cars and steel manufacturers. As cyberattacks threaten essential services to our daily needs, incident responders in these industries are faced with more pressure to defend the digital front line. In fact, 81% of respondents stated that the rise of ransomware has exacerbated the psychological demands associated to cybersecurity incidents.

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The global survey of over 1,100 cybersecurity incident responders in 10 markets, conducted by Morning Consult and sponsored by IBM Security, revealed trends, and challenges that incident responders experience due to the nature of their profession. Some key highlights include:

• A Sense of Service – Over a third of incident responders were attracted to the field by a sense of duty to protect and opportunity to help others and businesses. For nearly 80% of respondents, this was one of the top reasons attracting them to IR.
• Fighting Multiple Battlefronts – Amid a growing number of cyberattacks in recent years, 68% of incident responders surveyed stated it’s common to be assigned to respond to two or more overlapping incidents simultaneously.
• Impact on Daily Life – The high demands of cybersecurity engagements also affect incident responders’ personal lives, with 67% experiencing stress or anxiety in their daily lives. Insomnia, burnout and impact on social life or relationships followed as effects respondents cited. Despite these challenges, the vast majority acknowledged they have a strong support system in place.

“The real-world repercussions that cyberattacks now have are causing public safety concerns and market-stressing risks to grow,” said Laurance Dine, Global Lead, IBM Security X-Force Incident Response. “Incident responders are the frontline defenders standing between cyber adversaries causing disruption and the integrity and continuity of critical services. IBM salutes all IR teams  across the cybersecurity community, and the essential role they play in defending the digital front line.”

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