Organisational Friction Trumps Tech as Top Cybersecurity Threat

A new report from Cisco has highlighted that organisational friction, not technological limitations, poses the most significant threat to cybersecurity efforts globally and in India. The 'Relentless Defense Report' found that 96% of Indian organisations experienced a business-disrupting cyber incident last year, with over one-third involving AI-enhanced attacks.

The report noted that organisational capabilities are the biggest blocker for security teams, rather than technology. Only 41% of global organisations and 40% in India reported having unified security operations, leading to significant delays in threat detection and response.

Despite this, many organisations struggle with deploying AI-powered security capabilities due to concerns over data exposure and compromised systems. However, the report found that those who have successfully deployed AI see a 25% increase in detection and response rates.

The top-performing 'Relentless Defenders' were found to excel not by spending more but by reducing internal friction and establishing unified security operations. They are nearly twice as likely to see incidents fall compared to others, with 83% operating as a single coordinated team.