Heading into Black Hat, cyber community in dark mood on data protection

Cybersecurity professionals appear increasingly pessimistic about the likelihood of major breaches, attacks on critical infrastructure including election systems, and the effectiveness of government-industry responses, according to a survey of some of those planning to attend the massive annual Black Hat conference in Las Vegas.

The survey results are being released today in a research report by Black Hat, “Consumers in the Crosshairs,” issued in advance of the Aug. 3-8 conference.

“Based on data taken from Black Hat’s fifth...