HackerOne Research Finds 30% of Businesses Have Seen More Cyberattacks During Pandemic

Over half say they are preparing for an inevitable data breach

HackerOne has today revealed research that shows 30% of businesses globally have seen an increase in attacks on their IT systems as a result of the pandemic. This is according to C-Level IT and Security execs at global businesses, almost two thirds (64%) of which believe their organisation is more likely to experience a data breach due to COVID-19.

“The COVID-19 crisis has shifted life online,” says Marten Mickos, CEO of HackerOne. “As companies rush to meet remote work requirements and customer demands for digital services, attack surfaces have dramatically expanded, leaving security teams stretched thin and not staffed to cope. It’s been a moment of reckoning: use the creativity and power of hackers to harden software and prevent malicious activities.”

HackerOne has seen a 56 percent increase in hacker sign-ups on the platform since March compared to the same time last year. With budgets and teams cut for a quarter of respondents, it’s perhaps no surprise to see that 30 percent of CISOs say they would now be more open to receiving vulnerability reports from third party researchers than before the pandemic.

“Businesses realise they have been too slow with their digital transformation and cloud migration,” continues Marten. “HackerOne research revealed digital initiatives had accelerated as a result of COVID-19 for 36 percent of security leaders. Nearly a third were forced to go through it before they were ready. The strain this puts on security teams is immense. Cost-cutting measures combined with an increase in attacks means data breaches present a significant threat to brand reputations that may have already taken a hit. Crowdsourcing security testing with hackers is the fastest and most cost-effective way to minimise the risk security vulnerabilities pose. This is a practice recommended by governments and major digital corporations and allows companies to tap into the best security researchers in the world.”

HackerOne’s 4th annual Hacker Powered Security report will be published in August 2020, with spotlights dedicated to sharing insights and trends from customers and hackers about their experiences during the pandemic.

Research conducted by Opinion Matters on behalf of HackerOne in July 2020.
Sample: 1,400 security professionals in companies employing 1000+ in the UK, France, Germany, Australia, Singapore, USA and Canada