New G DATA CyberDefense study shows: the more expertise people have, the more they trust AI
When it comes to IT security, most employees want a combination of AI and specialists. That is the finding of “Cybersicherheit in Zahlen” (Cybersecurity in Numbers), the latest study by G DATA CyberDefense in cooperation with Statista and brand eins. The results show that companies need solutions such as Managed Extended Detection and Response, where IT security specialists evaluate the analyses of protection technologies and AI tools and make the decisions.
When it comes to IT security, people trust a combination of artificial intelligence and human expertise. This is the finding of the representative study “Cybersicherheit in Zahlen” by IT security company G DATA CyberDefense, conducted with Statista and brand eins. Almost one in two respondents feels best protected by a combination of AI and IT security specialists. The figure is unchanged from the previous year. Among those who choose one of the two options, human expertise is clearly the more popular. 37 percent of respondents say a team of IT security specialists protects them somewhat or definitely better. AI has gained only slightly over the same period: 18 percent feel better protected by it, up from 16 percent the year before. Only 6 percent rely on AI unequivocally.
The results argue for solutions that use AI in a targeted way while leaving the assessment of security incidents to specialists. Managed Extended Detection and Response is one example. It combines technological protection components that use AI with human expertise, which makes it possible, for instance, to monitor networks around the clock.
“AI can effectively support security specialists, but it takes human experience and judgment to turn technological possibilities into reliable protection,” says Andreas Lüning, co-founder and member of the executive board of G DATA CyberDefense.
“Companies should therefore deliberately choose solutions that combine modern technologies with human expertise.”Expertise Builds Trust in AIIT departments paint a different picture. People who work with technology and IT security in their jobs trust AI considerably more. In IT security departments, 39 percent feel somewhat or definitely better protected by AI. That is more than twice the share among all employees (18 percent). In other IT departments, one in three feels somewhat or definitely better protected by AI.
Download “Cybersicherheit in Zahlen”“Cybersicherheit in Zahlen” has now been published for the sixth time and stands out for its density of information and methodological depth. More than 5,000 employees in Germany took part in a representative online survey on cybersecurity in professional and private contexts. Statista’s experts supported the survey closely. Thanks to a sample size far above industry standard, they can present reliable, valid market research findings in the “Cybersicherheit in Zahlen” magazine. The researchers have also compiled figures, data and facts from more than 300 statistics into a comprehensive reference work on IT security.
Download “Cybersicherheit in Zahlen” here. (only in German available)