The fight to prevent hackers from attacking networks is failing , with nearly a quarter of cybersecurity professionals reporting a rise in security work rather than prevention work , according to a survey of 450 cybersecurity professionals by Attivo Networks . Nearly two - thirds of respondents identified malware and viruses as the biggest security risk , while around half named credential theft and targeted attacks as areas of concern . Malware and ransomware (cited by 61 percent) topped the list of security concerns, despite available anti-virus, firewall, and other prevention technologies. Respondents said attackers were worried the most about threat deception technology and next - generation firewalls , indicating those methods to be being particularly useful in fighting cyber attacks .
The fight to prevent hackers from attacking networks is failing , with nearly a quarter of cybersecurity professionals reporting a rise in security work rather than prevention work , according to a survey of 450 cybersecurity professionals by Attivo Networks . Nearly two - thirds of respondents identified malware and viruses as the biggest security risk , while around half named credential theft and targeted attacks as areas of concern . Respondents said attackers were worried the most about threat deception technology and next - generation firewalls , indicating those methods to be being particularly useful in fighting cyber attacks .