Regulated sectors pivot from detection to prevention focus

A recent CYBER360 Report published by Everfox has identified a significant shift in the focus of cybersecurity strategies among regulated organisations in the US and UK from detection to prevention.

The report surveyed 1,000 IT and security leaders across various sectors, including government, defence, financial services, and healthcare, highlighting the extensive number of cyber incidents reported by regulated organisations. Between October 2023 and 2024, 97% of organisations experienced a cyber incident.

On average, these organisations faced around 127 attempted cyberattacks per week. Among the top threats identified are compromised access credentials, phishing attacks, and exploited vulnerabilities, each affecting approximately one-quarter of respondents. The growing sophistication of attacks, attributed in part to AI and emerging malicious actor trends, was noted by 62% of the security leaders surveyed.

Sean Berg, CEO of Everfox, commented on the findings, "Increasingly sophisticated cyberattacks have unfortunately become the norm and traditional detection-based technologies are unable to keep up. New, preventative security strategies and solutions like Hardsec and CDR solutions are a necessity to match the sophistication of today's—and tomorrow's—threats."

The report reveals that 74% of IT Security Directors in regulated industries find detection-based security technologies outdated and inadequate. A notable majority, 78%, expressed that security teams must transition from a reactive detection approach to a proactive prevention strategy. The CYBER360 Report outlines several advanced preventative plans these organisations intend to deploy.

A third of respondents plan to adopt Hardsec technology to decrease the attack surface. Similarly, nearly a third plan to implement Advanced Content Disarm and Reconstruction (CDR) solutions to sanitise incoming data and files. Additionally, over a quarter consider introducing User Activity Monitoring (UAM) to better manage insider risks.

Despite the interest in adopting preventative security technologies, several barriers remain. A significant portion of those surveyed, 39%, cited an inability to keep pace with the evolving threat landscape as the primary challenge. Budget constraints were mentioned by 36%, with government organisations identifying this as their top obstacle.

The preference for traditional security approaches emerged as a sector-specific challenge, particularly in defence, where over a third note resistance to change is a significant hurdle. This indicates a need for strong leadership to facilitate the transition towards a preventative security framework.

The CYBER360 Report offers recommendations for overcoming these obstacles and emphasises the growing recognition of the need to shift from detecting to preventing cyber threats. The detailed account presents a comprehensive overview of current cybersecurity challenges and the anticipated direction of security strategies in regulated sectors.