Kocho says more than a quarter of UK cyber security and IT professionals have felt pressure to cover up a security breach or data loss incident. The finding comes from a survey of 501 UK CIOs, security analysts, and IT professionals, published by the company in April.
According to the survey, 27% of respondents said they had felt pressure to cover up a breach or data loss incident. A fifth said there is still a culture of blame around breaches, and 14% said they had been held personally responsible in their organisation. While 92% said their boardrooms understand the day-to-day realities of cyber security, 45% said a more measured board response would make breach handling easier and faster.
The research also recorded strain between cyber teams and senior leadership. Some 73% said managing expectations and pressures from the C-suite is demanding, rising to 81% in organisations with 100 to 250 employees. More than half, or 52%, said their board or customers had asked for cyber security assurances they could not give. Nearly four in 10 said clearer support and recognition from senior leadership would reduce stress.
Hannah Birch, CEO of Kocho, said: “As an industry, we must move away from viewing every cyber breach as a sign of organisational or reputational failure. Today’s threats target entire sectors, supply chains, and ecosystems, not just individual businesses, with similar techniques often used against multiple organisations in quick succession. A breach should not automatically be seen evidence of negligence but the result of a coordinated, well-resourced criminal campaign, therefore, we need a culture of openness, where leaders can share insights and experiences.”
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