Advanced Cyber Defence Systems (ACDS) has released the results of a survey of 250 IT professionals that has uncovered significant cybersecurity challenges facing organisations today. Notably, the research revealed that half of IT professionals believe there are devices connected to their network that they’re unaware of, despite nearly 60% admitting that insecure devices pose a ‘very high’ or ‘high’ risk to their organisation, highlighting the importance of managing attack surfaces properly. 

The research findings were revealed in a report entitled ‘Cybersecurity Challenges in 2024: Data Breaches, Open Source Risks, and Network Vulnerabilities’. The report provides a detailed analysis of data breaches, detection times, reliance on open source software, network security issues, and factors driving increased cybersecurity spending.

The report also revealed that over two-thirds of organisations have experienced three or more data breaches in the past 24 months. Worryingly, 20% of organisations took longer than five days to discover a breach. The delay in detection can drastically amplify the damage inflicted by cyberattacks. Significantly, the longer a breach goes unnoticed, the more time attackers have to carry out nefarious activity, including disrupting operations, exfiltrating sensitive data, and potentially harming an organisation’s reputation and financial standing. 

The report also touches on open source software commitments made by organisations. Many organisations rely on open source projects for innovation; however, only 39% of respondents reported that their companies actively fund the open source projects they rely on. Respondents to the survey cited the recent XZ Utils backdoor, an open source vulnerability, as an influential incident prompting increased spending in the area. Other significant events that prompted increased spending to bolster security defences were nation-state attacks and the MOVEit breach. 

Elliott Wilkes, CTO of ACDS, comments: “A comprehensive device inventory and robust security protocols are crucial for mitigating cyber threats. Advanced solutions, like automated network scanning tools, such as ACDS OBSERVATORY, enhance network visibility and protection. Prioritising these measures significantly reduces the risk associated with unknown or insecure devices, safeguarding critical assets and ensuring operational integrity.”

The full report can be found here.

About ACDS:

Advanced Cyber Defence Systems is a UK-based cybersecurity company founded to bring the technical capabilities of national security to the private sector. The underlying technology in each of our products is infused with the same design, engineering, and code that underpins critical security systems used across the UK government. Our team comes from some of the largest technology companies and governmental organisations, bringing a wealth of experience in delivering business security and value to customers.