ID Dataweb and CIO Dive's Studio Survey Reveals Major Gap Between Identity Risk Awareness and Cyber Defense Readiness

Research finds 82% awareness of identity-based threats, yet only 17% are extremely confident in detecting them

CENTREVILLE, Va., March 31, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- ID Dataweb™, a leader in identity threat detection and risk mitigation, today announced the results of a new survey conducted in partnership with CIO Dive's Studio by Informa TechTarget, revealing a significant gap between how organizations perceive identity risk and their operational readiness to defend against identity-driven cyber threats.

The survey of 150 U.S.-based IT and security leaders across banking, financial services, insurance, and healthcare found that while awareness of identity-based threats is high, confidence in the tools and strategies needed to stop them remains low.

Key findings from the report include:

• High awareness, low confidence: While 82% of respondents agree that identity is the new security perimeter, only 17% say they are extremely confident in their ability to detect identity-based threats.
• Persistent concerns around fraud and account takeover:  Despite widespread adoption of multi-factor authentication and biometrics, just 13% of respondents are extremely confident in preventing account takeover (ATO) and identity fraud.
• Threat understanding remains uneven: Phishing was identified as the top threat by 90% of respondents, yet far fewer organizations report a strong understanding of impersonation attacks (40%) or AI-driven threats (23%).
• Fragmented systems hinder progress: 43% of respondents cited fragmented identity systems and lack of integration as the biggest barrier to strengthening identity security.

The findings suggest that many organizations may have a false sense of security. Although 71% reported no identity-related incidents in the past year, only 28% said they fully understand the attack chain behind identity-based breaches, indicating that many threats may be going undetected and exposing organizations to substantial risk.

"Identity has become the front line of cybersecurity," said Dave Coxe, co-founder and CEO of ID Dataweb. "Attackers are no longer breaking in—they're logging in using stolen credentials or sophisticated impersonation tactics. Organizations must move beyond point-in-time authentication and adopt continuous identity threat detection to protect digital interactions without adding unnecessary friction for legitimate users and customers."

The research also highlights a broader identity security maturity gap. Although identity and access management (IAM) tools are widely deployed, only 15% of organizations report having programs mature enough to support continuous detection and automated response to identity threats.

To learn more about the survey findings and how organizations are closing the confidence gap, register for the on-demand ID Dataweb broadcast, featuring Dr. Torsten George, Cybersecurity Evangelist at ID Dataweb.

About ID Dataweb 
ID Dataweb™ helps enterprises stay ahead of identity fraud and account-related threats with real-time detection and mitigation while maintaining a seamless experience for their workforce, third parties, and customers. The ID Dataweb SaaS platform combines adaptive identity verification methods, behavioral analytics, device and credential intelligence, and risk scoring. Backed by AI and expert insights, these capabilities proactively stop identity-based attacks, protect revenue, and strengthen compliance. Unlike static legacy identity tools, ID Dataweb delivers dynamic, multi-layered risk orchestration that adapts to evolving threats. Its low-code, cloud-native services deploy quickly, integrate seamlessly with existing IAM systems, and align with each customer's policies.

For more information, please visit www.iddataweb.com.

Media Contact:  
Larry Smalheiser  
(W)right On Communications  
[email protected]

SOURCE ID Dataweb