A quarter of Dutch organizations are unprepared for a cyberattack; 40% in healthcare

Around a quarter of all medium-sized and large Dutch organizations are insufficiently prepared for a cyberattack, research conducted by Motivaction on assignment from KPN showed. IT managers are mainly concerned about the possible theft of privacy-sensitive data. There are also concerns about business interruptions, damage to reputations, financial losses due to loss of turnover, and theft of sensitive business information.

In healthcare, 40 percent of IT decision-makers surveyed indicate that they are insufficiently prepared for cyber threats. The financial sector (29 percent) and government (27 percent) scored relatively high in comparison with the average of all researched organizations.

A noteworthy fact is that the transport and logistics sector indicated that they are much better prepared for a potential cyberattack.

In the government's case, the main challenges, according to the researchers, are “a lack of knowledge and specialized staff, as well as the presence of older systems.” The government generally has a good eye for cyber risks and their potentially serious consequences.

When it comes to the healthcare sector, IT managers are mainly worried about the theft of patients' privacy-sensitive information. The financial sector is more concerned about a hit to their reputation in the event of a cyberattack. Dutch industrial companies are often worried about the stagnation of business processes during a cyber attack.

Motivaction questioned 456 people who are responsible for IT in various sectors for their study.