More than 54% of organisations experienced a cyberattack in the past 12 to 18 months, with one in five unable to recover lost data, according to a study sponsored by NetApp.
In the autumn of 2024, NetApp worked with Futurum Research to conduct a comprehensive survey of over 1,300 cybersecurity leaders across industries worldwide.
“The findings clearly highlight the urgency for organizations to rethink their cybersecurity strategies in an era of escalating threats,” said Gagan Gulati, general manager for data services at NetApp.
He said that in order to reduce risks and ensure faster recovery, businesses must adopt an intelligent data strategy that prioritises secure-by-design infrastructures, embedding security at the core of their data management approach.
Findings show that misconfigurations and vulnerabilities in hybrid multi-cloud environments are now among the top threats, outpacing traditional attacks like ransomware. As organisations rely increasingly on hybrid cloud infrastructures, addressing these vulnerabilities is critical to maintaining data security and operational continuity.
Also, 70% of respondents use more than 40 cybersecurity tools, with 84% citing operational complexity as a major inhibitor to cyber resiliency. This complexity creates protection gaps and inefficiencies, underscoring the need for tool consolidation and integrated solutions to streamline operations.
Further, 40% of organisations are leveraging AI for threat detection, with plans to expand its use for automating response and recovery. AI’s ability to identify and mitigate threats at scale is powerful, but balancing its use with managing false positives and ensuring robust human oversight is essential to its success.
In addition, organisations with strong data classification frameworks recover from attacks more effectively, emphasizing its role as a cornerstone of cyber resiliency. This underscores the importance of embedding intelligent data infrastructure that not only classifies and protects data but also enables real-time anomaly detection and resilient recovery, enabling business continuity even in worst-case scenarios.
Over 90% of respondents plan to increase cybersecurity spend in the next 12 to 18 months, focusing on integrated and proactive solutions. Proactive investment can address the rising cost of cyberattacks and the growing complexity of threats, ensuring resilience and operational trust.
“This survey sheds light on the critical role of visibility and data-centric strategies in navigating the evolving cybersecurity landscape,” said Daniel Newman, CEO at The Futurum Group.
“By harnessing intelligent data infrastructure solutions, organisations can better protect their assets, ensure recovery, and thrive amidst disruption,” said Newman.
The report emphasises the critical role of AI and integrated technologies as game-changers in combating increasingly sophisticated attack vectors. By leveraging AI alongside robust data classification and consolidated toolchains, enterprises can mitigate risks more effectively, reduce response times, and enhance visibility across sprawling hybrid multi-cloud environments.
