Security is top of mind for some C-suite professionals.
However, it’s middle-market chief financial officers in particular that are feeling the pressure, according to the PYMNTS Intelligence record “Cybersecurity Risks Cause Middle-Market Stream to Cancel Innovation Plans”.
Middle-market companies ‘ ability to implement technology is their primary driver, as funding for those initiatives is frequently squandered by countering potential cyber threats like ransom and security breaches. These threats are made worse by the number of attacks and the numerous security measures required, from customer sites to devices connected to partners ‘ firms, vendors, and clients.
To mitigate these constraints, many middle-market firms, especially those in high-uncertainty conditions, are attempting to get out in front of them through pre-emptive measures, such as training and updated domestic security policies.
Education and Assessments
Across the board, about a third of all middle-market firms, regardless of doubt amount, have increased security education and awareness programs for employees. According to the report, less than a quarter of reduced- and middle-uncertainty companies have conducted a security risk assessment, compared to half of respondents with high-uncertainty. What steps were being taken to combat security issues when a company placed on the confusion scale.
For example, 31 % of high-uncertainty agencies had conducted third-party penetration testing or risk assessments while 10 % of middle-uncertainty companies had done so. According to their level of uncertainty in their chosen field, those actions reflected the competing interests that companies faced.
Turning to Systems
According to the report, high-uncertainty businesses were more likely to have turned to innovative technologies to effectively deal with virtual threats. To that end, 44 % of the most uncertain companies had invested in systems such as artificial intelligence-driven risk detection.
AI is even starting to emerge as a possible source of , according to cybersecurity firm , which dubbed the AI type a” Pandora’s box of safety risks” after a round of testing on the technology.
In comparison to nearly a third of small and middle-uncertainty procedures, the PYMNTS Intelligence review found that 13 % of high-uncertainty companies had implemented stochastic verification across systems. The often-costly shift of hiring third-party cybersecurity firms was not popular with any demographic, with only around 15 % of all businesses doing so.
The Outlook
The level of enthusiasm regarding security changes in 2025 is tied to a fund’s level of uncertainty. In the report, 31 % of high-uncertainty companies predicted that security risks would get worse in the upcoming season, while 19 % of CFOs in high-uncertainty organizations predicted that things would improve.
In contrast, 74 % of low-uncertainty companies said they expected situations to increase in the near term. This essentially demonstrates the difficulties high-uncertainty companies face as they balance other issues with security.