(Phoenix, AZ, Thursday, October 24, 2019) – According to the 2019 Cybersecurity and Threat Preparedness Survey, 39% of respondents indicate their company is under-prepared to handle a data breach and 66% prefer negotiating with a used car salesperson over dealing with a breach.

Commissioned by Avertium, a leading provider of managed security and security consulting services, the online survey included responses from 223 cybersecurity and IT executives in the U.S. Key findings from the survey highlight attitudes toward new technologies, threat preparedness and investment strategies for 2020.

The survey brings to light the love-hate relationship between security and IT professionals and technology. The survey’s findings also point to the continued criticality of the human element in identifying and addressing cyber threats. More than half of the report’s respondents plan to expand the cybersecurity team at their respective companies in 2020.

To educate employees on preventing exposure to these types of threats, more than 90% of companies accounted for in the survey have at least one process in place, including incorporating cyber security training in new employee orientations and annual training sessions. Three-quarters of respondents send email communication and nearly three-fifths conduct regular phishing exercises in order to share common signs of phishing scams.

Avertium is a leading provider of accessible managed security and security consulting services to the midmarket and enterprise. Founded in 2019 when leading growth equity first Sunstone Partners acquired award-winning cybersecurity companies Terra Verde Security, TruShield and Sword & Shield Enterprise Security, Avertium’s team of highly certified security experts’ service more than 1,200 customers in the retail, healthcare, hospitality, financial services, manufacturing and government sectors nationwide. Managed security services customers enjoy 24×7 monitoring from dual security operations centers located in Arizona and Tennessee. For more information, visit www.avertium.com.