Cybersecurity industry research firm CyberEdge Group released its 2024 Cyberthreat Defense Report (CDR). This survey, which polled 1,200 qualified IT security decision makers and practitioners, was designed to provide deeper insight into the minds of IT security professionals.
The 10th-anniversary edition of the report dives in particular into the influence of AI on the cybersecurity industry, strategic harnessing of IT security training initiatives to enhance job satisfaction, the increasing importance of board members with cybersecurity expertise and cybersecurity technologies experiencing the highest demand in the industry.
Particular highlights include:
- 36 percent of security professionals believing that AI will benefit IT security teams.
- 24 percent noting that threat actors have more to gain.
- 45 percent observing threat actor reliance on AI to discover weaknesses in cyberdefense.
- Ransomware instances declining to 64 percent after a five year steady increase.
- Organizations that paid a ransom declining to 49 percent, with fewer able to recover data.
- Industrial control systems (ICS), application containers and mobile devices listed among the most challenging IT components to secure.
- 86 percent of those surveyed experiencing a shortfall of security talent, including the most in-demand IT security administrators.
- 60 percent of organizations listing at least one board member with a cybersecurity background.
To access the full report, click here.