More Than One-in-Three Canadian Organizations Experienced a Security Breach in the Past Year

New CDW research reveals an ever-increasing need for penetration testing and comprehensive security assessments

TORONTO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Today, CDW Canada, a leading provider of technology solutions and services for Canadian organizations, published findings from its 2023 Penetration Testing Survey to coincide with CDW’s annual National Penetration Testing Day.

The research found that more than one-in-three (36 percent) Canadian organizations experienced a security breach in the past year. While the vast majority (80 percent) involved an external breach originating from outside an organization’s infrastructure, three-in-five (61 percent) reported an internal breach. The high frequency of internal security breaches highlights the crucial importance of implementing and maintaining a strong cybersecurity posture and ensuring employees are educated and trained on security best practices.

"With cyberattacks becoming increasingly sophisticated and complex, organizations must keep up to identify, evaluate and mitigate their exploitable vulnerabilities,” says Julius Azarcon, Vice President, Professional and Managed Services, for CDW Canada. "One of the most effective ways organizations can minimize their cybersecurity risks is through penetration testing to ensure their data remains secure. Organizations that neglect to prioritize their cybersecurity are significantly heightening their risk of exposure to successful cyberattacks that prey on security vulnerabilities.”

The survey also revealed the most common types of security breaches Canadian organizations report being victimized by in the past two years, which included ransomware attacks (34 percent), business email compromises (34 percent) and phishing attacks (33 percent). Amongst companies/organizations that have shifted to a remote or hybrid work model, more than half (54 percent) of Canadian IT professionals report that the shift has increased their organization’s security risk. Awareness, training and resources remain paramount to combatting cyberthreats.

Now in its second year, the CDW survey summarizes the sentiment of 500 Canadian IT decision-makers regarding cybersecurity and the posture of their organizations.

With 20 years of industry-leading experience, CDW specializes in helping organizations prepare for and defend against security threats. As a trusted security partner, CDW develops customized solutions and services to address the unique IT security risks of organizations and conducts penetration testing to identify and catalogue vulnerabilities in existing defence systems.

To learn more about the state of penetration testing in Canada, please visit CDW Canada’s Research Hub.

Join the conversation online by following @CDWCanada on Twitter and LinkedIn.

About CDW Canada

CDW Canada is a leading provider of technology solutions for business, government, education and healthcare. CDW Canada Corp. helps customers achieve their goals by delivering integrated technology solutions and services that help customers navigate an increasingly complex IT market and maximize the return on their technology investment. Areas of focus include software, networking, unified communications, data centre and mobility solutions. CDW Canada Corp. is on the Channel Daily News’ Top 100 Solutions Provider list in Canada, and is a wholly owned subsidiary of Vernon Hills, Illinois-based CDW Corporation, a Fortune 500 company. For more information, visit www.cdw.ca.