What’s Scarier Than a Security Breach?

October 31, 2023

It’s spooky season! While Halloween might conjure up images of ghosts, witches, and goblins, there’s something much more frightening organizations should be fending off—data breaches!

For business leaders, security is paramount, and that’s why many of them rely on mainframe technology to keep their organizations secure. In fact, mainframes are used by 71% of Fortune 500 companies and play a vital role in the systems that make everyday life possible. In a survey from Rocket Software, security was cited as the top reason for reliance on the mainframe. Rocket Software surveyed 250 global IT directors and vice presidents in companies with more than 1,000 employees to get a sense of where they stand on mainframe security—and what challenges and risks leave them spooked.

So, while we’re all still in the Halloween spirit, instead of the usual frights of ghosts and ghouls, let’s examine what business leaders think of some of the spookiest security concerns.

Leaders Know Security is Essential

Even as business leaders continue to lean on the mainframe for its security benefits, the risks that remain are by no means lost on them. Rocket Software found that mainframe security is a major concern for business leaders as 68% of respondents said it is an area that their organizations take seriously. Even still, another 27% of respondents said they know mainframe security is important, but they don’t have the resources or funding to contribute to security as much as they feel they should. Ultimately, only 28% of organizations said they felt extremely confident in their proactive response to mainframe vulnerabilities.

So, clearly, it’s no secret that protecting the mainframe is mission critical. Protecting the mainframe adequately means business leaders need to ensure their organization is regularly assessing where vulnerabilities lie. And the findings from Rocket Software’s survey showed that’s a reality that aligns with leaders’ mindsets. The findings showed that the frequency of security assessments varies among organizations as 33% conduct compliance assessments for their mainframes every 1-2 years, whereas 56% undertake them on an annual basis.

The Looming Risk of Data Breaches

When it comes to business disruptions, not much is spookier for business leaders than the prospect of facing a major data or security breach on the mainframe. Attacks like this can be devastating, not just for the business, but for any customers or clients that they serve as well. Among surveyed leaders, revenue loss was cited as the greatest concern surrounding the fallout from a breach, followed closely by damage to brand reputation and loss of intellectual property.

When it comes to preparedness, how do leaders think they stack up? According to Rocket Software’s survey, an overwhelming 97% of organizations believe they can isolate workloads, but 39% acknowledge that isolating workloads takes precious resources and lengthy cycles internally—and that can quickly translate into lost dollars and a damaged brand reputation. With those perceptions in mind, it’s clear that simply fortifying existing mainframe security itself isn’t enough. Moving forward, leaders will need to prioritize building the capability to respond quickly to any incident.

Is Staff Up to the Task?

We know leaders are aware and concerned about mainframe security. But where do they fall on the capabilities of the staff in their organizations that will be securing the mainframe? That task, especially at larger organizations, requires a highly trained staff to support operations and monitor for vulnerabilities. While training and knowledge is critical for staff, it turns out that the level of education within organizations may vary. Rocket Software’s research found that 62% of organizations consistently offer training or educational initiatives aimed at heightening security awareness among their teams, in spite of this being the standard industry practice.

Compare that to other organizations where 31% of leaders report limiting these trainings to a one-to-two-year interval. Security and security practices are only as effective as the IT staff tasked with protecting the mainframe. As the pace of transformation continues to accelerate, organizations need to ensure they are providing staff with the education and resources they need to spot and stop any threat.

Facing mainframe security risks doesn’t have to be frightening, find out how Rocket Software can help.