Dive Brief:

• 35% of U.S. companies say they are under increasing threat from hacks from foreign countries, according to a new report from cybersecurity research firms Ponemon Institute and CounterTack.
• 75% of companies surveyed admitted they are unprepared to handle such attacks.
• Only half of respondents reported taking measures to prevent or deter attacks.

Dive Insight:

Respondents said that concern about state-sponsored attacks rose following last year's hack at Sony.

"Companies are doing a good job — but attackers, and not just nation-states, but all attackers, they're becoming more sophisticated, strategic and just nastier,” said Larry Ponemon, the Institute's founder. “The gap is growing."

Recent hacks like the one at the U.S. Office of Personnel Management prove that all kinds of data are potentially at risk. Cybersecurity researchers have traced many attacks to China.

But despite the evidence, few executives are taking direct action, the report found. Half the respondents to the survey said they are taking a "wait and see approach" instead of putting proactive measures into action.

The report also found a bit of good news — almost two-thirds of companies reported they are increasing their IT/security budgets.