"Thales Data Threat Report 2024" Shows Ransomware Attacks Are Increasing, And Lack Of Compliance Is The Main Reason Why Enterprises Are Attacked

MEUDON, France--( BUSINESS WIRE )-- On March 20, local time, Thales released  the "2024 Thales Data Threat Report" (2024 Thales Data Threat Report) . The report is based on a survey of nearly 3,000 IT and digital security professionals in 18 countries/regions, 37 industries, and is an annual report on the latest data security threats, trends and emerging topics. This year's report found that 93% of IT professionals believe the number or severity of security threats is increasing, a significant increase from 47% last year.

Threats continue to increase in number and severity

The number of businesses hit by ransomware has surged by more than 27% in the past year. Despite this escalating threat, less than half of businesses have a formal ransomware program in place, and 8% have had to pay a ransom.

Malware is the fastest growing threat in 2024, with 41% of businesses experiencing malware attacks last year, closely followed by phishing and ransomware. Cloud assets such as SaaS applications, cloud storage, and cloud infrastructure management remain prime targets for such attacks.

The report shows that human error is the main cause of data breaches for the second year in a row, with 31% of companies citing it as the root cause.

The above views are quoted from the "Thales Data Threat Report 2024" released by 451 Research analysis company. The report reveals how enterprises are adapting their data security policies and practices in response to the evolving threat landscape.

Compliance is key to data security

The research found that more than two in five businesses (43%) failed a compliance audit last year. The report points to a clear correlation between compliance and data security.

Of those businesses that failed a compliance audit, 31% experienced a data breach in the same year. In comparison, among companies that passed compliance audits, this proportion was only 3%.

Operational complexity remains the root of data problems

Due to the ever-changing regulatory and threat landscape, enterprises' basic understanding of which systems, applications and data are at risk still lags behind. Only a third (33%) of businesses are able to fully classify all their data, and a worrying 16% say they do little or no data classification.

Operational complexity remains a major hurdle for businesses. While the number of respondents saying they have five or more key management systems has declined (53%, compared with 62% last year), the average number has fallen only slightly (from 5.6 to 5.4).

The reality of multi-cloud across services and changing global data privacy regulations means that addressing data sovereignty issues is a top priority for enterprises. 28% of enterprises believe that mandatory external key management is the main way to achieve sovereignty. 39% of enterprises said that data residency will no longer be an issue as long as external encryption, key management and separation of duties are implemented.

Sebastien Cano, Senior Vice President of Cloud Protection and Software Licensing at Thales, said, “Enterprises need to know exactly what they are protecting. As data privacy regulations continue to change around the world, enterprises need to have good visibility across the entire organization. sex to ensure compliance.” 

He added, “If there’s one big takeaway from this year’s research, it’s that compliance is key. In fact, companies that control their compliance processes well and pass all audits are less likely to have a data breach. In the future, We will see more and more compliance and security capabilities coming together. This will be a major positive move to strengthen cyber defenses and build trust with customers."

Emerging technologies are both threats and opportunities

Looking ahead, the report also explores which emerging technologies are of greatest concern to IT and security professionals, with 57% citing artificial intelligence (AI) as the most concerning, followed closely by the Internet of Things (55%) and post-quantum Encryption technology (45%).

Nonetheless, businesses are also eyeing the opportunities presented by emerging technologies. More than one-fifth (22%) of enterprises plan to integrate generative AI into their security products and services in the next year, and one-third (33%) plan to try to integrate the technology.

For more information, you can join our webinar with S&P Global on April 16, 2024 , hosted by Principal Analyst Eric Hanselman and Research Analyst Justin Lam .

About the Thales Global Data Threat Report 2024

The Thales Global Data Threat Report 2024 analyzes how core security practices respond to or anticipate evolving threats. The report also provides perspective on how companies can use data assets to expand opportunities, make their businesses more agile and build trust with their customers. This study is based on an online survey of 2,961 respondents from around the world, with target groups from Australia, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, Hong Kong, India, Italy, Japan, Mexico, the Netherlands, New Zealand, South Korea, Singapore, and Sweden , the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, and the United States. The survey targeted professionals in the fields of security and IT management. In addition to the knowledge level criteria about the survey topic, the survey's screening criteria excluded those who said they were affiliated with companies with annual revenue of less than $100 million, and those with annual revenue of $100 million to $250 million.

About Thales

As one of the world's leaders in advanced technology, Thales (Euronext: HO) focuses on aviation, aerospace, digital identity and security and other fields to develop and develop a safer, greener and more inclusive world. Products and Solutions.

The Group invests approximately 4 billion euros in R&D funds every year in key technologies, such as quantum technology, edge computing, 6G and network security.

Thales has 81,000  *  employees worldwide in 68 countries and regions, with group sales revenue of 18.4 billion euros in 2023.

* Data does not include the rail transit business that is being divested

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Disclaimer: The original version of this announcement is the officially authorized version. The translation is for convenience of understanding only. Please refer to the original text. The original version is the only legally binding version.

Contacts

Press Contact
Thales Media Relations
Security & Cyber ​​Security
Marion Bonnet
+33 (0)6 60 38 48 92
marion.bonnet@thalesgroup.com