These are turbulent times in the cybersecurity space: threat vectors and volumes are rising exponentially, ransomware attacks are making primetime news slots, and international diplomats are moving cyberwarfare to the top of the priority list. SecOps professionals are at the center of the storm, in a war of attrition against nation states, ransomware gangs, and other well-funded bad actors.

But what is top of mind for them right now and how are they reacting to the drumbeat of new attacks and threats?

We are always keen to understand the SecOps community, anticipating their needs, and responding to their concerns. That’s why we recently commissioned an independent research company (The Hayhurst Consultancy) to undertake a study of 600 senior cybersecurity subject-matter experts from organizations in the U.S., Canada, UK, Germany, and France to help answer these questions. All respondents are members of businesses with 1,000+ employees and with revenue of at least US $500M annually.

The Voice of SecOps report is a window into the world of professionals in Education, Financial Services, Manufacturing, Pharmaceuticals, Professional Services & Advisory, Retail, Technology, Telecoms, and Utilities and represents a cross section of cybsersecurity-centric roles, including  CISO, CTO, ITO, Chief Security Officer, Head of Information Security, Information & Security Risk Manager, and Malware Analyst.

This combination of verticals, personas, and geographies has helped deliver a rich mix of perspectives across a range of cybersecurity team priorities – giving perspective into concerns over the likelihood of a ransomware attack, the impact of false positives on productivity, and the adoption of AI-based solutions to counter zero-day threats. Country differences on some of these topics makes for fascinating reading and provides a diverse view into each region’s overriding priorities.

The Voice of SecOps will be an annual study, tracking the evolution of the demanding environment in which every SecOps professional functions and providing insights into potential solutions to improve their world.

Want to see the findings? Download the infographic and full report.