Half of IT professionals are not confident about the devices in their networks

Advanced Cyber ​​Defense Systems (ACDS) has released the results of a survey of 250 IT professionals, summarized in a report titled “Cybersecurity Challenges 2024: Data Breaches, Open Source Risk, and Network Vulnerabilities.” The research highlights significant cybersecurity challenges for organizations.

One key finding was that half of surveyed IT professionals believe there are devices connected to their networks that they are not aware of. This is particularly concerning since nearly 60% of respondents said such unsecured devices pose a very high or high risk to their organization, underscoring the criticality of comprehensive device management and monitoring to mitigate potential attack vectors.

The report also revealed that more than two-thirds of organizations experienced three or more data breaches in the past 24 months. In addition, 20% of these organizations took more than five days to identify the breach. Delayed detection exacerbates the impact of cyberattacks, providing attackers with more opportunities to cause damage, steal sensitive information and disrupt operations, which can damage an organization’s reputation and financial health.

The report also addresses the issue of reliance on open source software within organizations. Despite the heavy reliance on these projects for innovation, only 39% of respondents said their companies actively fund the open source projects they rely on. A significant incident driving increased spending in this area was the XZ Utils backdoor vulnerability. Other significant events that spurred investment in security defense included nation-state attacks and the MOVEit breach.

Elliott Wilkes, CTO of ACDS, commented on the findings: “A comprehensive device inventory and robust security protocols are key to mitigating cyber threats. Advanced solutions, such as automated network scanning tools like ACDS OBSERVATORY, increase network visibility and protection. Prioritizing these measures significantly reduces the risk associated with unknown or unsecured devices, securing critical assets and ensuring operational integrity.”

The online survey, commissioned by Advanced Cyber ​​Defense Systems (ACDS) and conducted by research firm OnePoll, surveyed 250 cybersecurity decision-makers at companies with more than 500 employees and was conducted between April 30 and May 8, 2024, in line with the Market Research Society’s Code of Practice.

Advanced Cyber ​​Defence Systems is a British cybersecurity company that aims to bring technical national security capabilities to the private sector.