{“lastseen”:”2025-10-24T11:29:54″,”description”:”\\n\\nDoes your organization suffer from a cybersecurity perception gap? Findings from the **Bitdefender 2025 Cybersecurity Assessment** suggest the answer is probably \\”yes\\” \u2014 and many leaders may not even realize it.\\n\\nThis disconnect matters. Small differences in perception today can evolve into major blind spots tomorrow. After all, perception influences what organizations prioritize, where they allocate resources, and how they respond in critical moments.\\n\\n## **Confidence at the Top, Caution on the Ground**\\n\\nBitdefender’s latest assessment surveyed **1,200 cybersecurity and IT professionals** , and at first glance, the results suggest optimism. An impressive **93%** say they are \\”somewhat\\” or \\”very confident\\” in their ability to manage cyber risk as the attack surface expands.\\n\\nBut dig deeper, and the optimism begins to split.\\n\\nNearly half (**45%**) of C-level respondents \u2014 including CISOs and CIOs \u2014 describe themselves as \\”very confident\\” in their organization’s readiness. Yet among mid-level managers, that number drops sharply to just **19%**.\\n\\n\\n\\nExecutives, it seems, are more than twice as likely as operational teams to feel assured about their cybersecurity posture.\\n\\nWhen leadership overestimates readiness, it can lead to underinvestment in people, processes, and technology. But perhaps it’s not about who’s right \u2014 rather, it’s about how differently each group views the same landscape.\\n\\n## **Why the Cybersecurity Perception Gap Exists**\\n\\nIn a recent conversation with several Bitdefender cybersecurity experts, we explored what drives this perception gap \u2014 and why it persists across so many organizations.\\n\\n**Sean Nikkel** , Team Lead at the **Bitdefender Cyber Intelligence Fusion Cell** , says it’s no surprise that front-line professionals tend to have lower confidence in their organization’s cyber resilience. They’re the ones confronting risks up close.\\n\\n\\”Think about what happens after a merger or acquisition,\\” Nikkel explains. \\”Whatever risk the acquired company carried, you now inherit. You can go from 100% green to yellow overnight \u2014 legacy systems, forgotten shadow IT, outdated processes. Those details are often invisible to leadership but painfully clear to security teams.\\”\\n\\n**Martin Zugec** , Bitdefender Technical Solutions Director, agrees. \\”In my investigations, I often see a completely different version of cybersecurity than what’s being discussed online,\\” he says. \\”There’s a gap between perception and reality \u2014 and that gap seems to be widening.\\”\\n\\nFor **Nick Jackson** , Bitdefender’s Director of Cybersecurity Services, the issue often comes down to **communication**. \\”Mid-level managers handle much of the operational load, while CISOs and C-level leaders focus on strategic planning,\\” he notes. \\”Without strong reporting and collaboration, those worlds can drift apart.\\”\\n\\n## **How to Close the Perception Gap**\\n\\nBridging this divide isn’t just about improving communication \u2014 it’s a strategic imperative. Jackson, who helps organizations align through the **Bitdefender Security Advisory** , says the solution starts with mutual understanding.\\n\\n\\”When both sides understand each other’s perspectives \u2014 the executive’s focus on risk appetite and business priorities, and the manager’s daily reality of operational threats \u2014 they can make smarter, faster decisions,\\” Jackson explains.\\n\\nBetter alignment helps everyone. Mid-level managers gain insight into why the company might accept certain risks or limit spending in specific areas. Meanwhile, executives gain a clearer view of the on-the-ground challenges that create those concerns in the first place.\\n\\nUltimately, cybersecurity success depends on shared visibility and trust. Closing the perception gap builds a culture where executives and practitioners move in sync \u2014 aligning strategy with reality to strengthen the entire organization.\\n\\n## **Learn More About the C-Level vs. Frontline Divide**\\n\\nThe perception gap identified in the **Bitdefender 2025 Cybersecurity Assessment** reaches beyond readiness, revealing differing cybersecurity priorities for 2025 and contrasting views on the global skills shortage.\\n\\nTo explore the full findings, download the complete **Bitdefender 2025 Cybersecurity Assessment Report** and gain a data-driven view of what’s shaping cybersecurity strategy in the year ahead.\\n\\nFound this article interesting? This article is a contributed piece from one of our valued partners. Follow us on Google News, Twitter and LinkedIn to read more exclusive content we post.\\n”,”published”:”2025-10-24T11:00:00″,”modified”:”2025-10-24T11:00:00″,”type”:”thn”,”title”:”The Cybersecurity Perception Gap: Why Executives and Practitioners See Risk Differently”,”source”:””,”references”:””,”id”:”THN:D87AEFF3BAEB5EC5E56CDF86510C59E2″,”bulletinFamily”:”info”,”cwe”:null,”cvelist”:[],”sourceData”:””,”sourceHref”:””,”cvss”:{“score”:0,”severity”:”NONE”,”vector”:”NONE”,”version”:”NONE”},”cvss2″:{},”cvss3″:{“version”:””,”vectorString”:””,”baseScore”:0,”baseSeverity”:””,”attackVector”:””,”attackComplexity”:””,”privilegesRequired”:””,”userInteraction”:””,”scope”:””,”confidentialityImpact”:””,”integrityImpact”:””,”availabilityImpact”:””,”cvssV3″:{“version”:””,”vectorString”:””,”baseScore”:0,”baseSeverity”:””,”attackVector”:””,”attackComplexity”:””,”privilegesRequired”:””,”userInteraction”:””,”scope”:””,”confidentialityImpact”:””,”integrityImpact”:””,”availabilityImpact”:””}},”href”:”https:\/\/thehackernews.com\/2025\/10\/the-cybersecurity-perception-gap-why.html”,”category_name”:”News”,”post_link”:””,”product”:””,”version”:””,”vendor”:””,”ai_description”:””,”ai_severity”:””,”ai_vendor”:””,”ai_product”:””,”ai_version”:””,”ai_score”:0}<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
{“lastseen”:”2025-10-24T11:29:54″,”description”:”\\n\\nDoes your organization suffer from a cybersecurity perception gap? Findings from the **Bitdefender 2025 Cybersecurity Assessment** suggest the answer is probably \\”yes\\” \u2014 and many…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[6,8,12,13,33,7,11,43,5],"class_list":["post-23173","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-category_news","tag-cve","tag-cvss","tag-exploit","tag-news","tag-none","tag-security","tag-tapic","tag-thn","tag-vulnerability"],"yoast_head":"\n