Most companies are afraid of unseen cybersecurity threats

Companies are afraid of the threat posed by unknown threat actors and exploits, according to research from security monitoring specialist Critical Start, which said that, by and large, administrators are more afraid of what they don’t know than flaws and attacks that are already public.

The study, which polled some 1,000 cybersecurity professionals across various sectors, found that in many cases network defenders will be more likely to invest their resources in third-party services that offer defenses against threats not yet known or widely publicized.

According to the survey, 86% of respondents said that unknown risks were currently a top security concern for their companies, according to Critical Start, which is up 17 percentage points from the same study in 2023.

“About 99 percent of organizations plan to offload segments of cyber risk reduction workstreams or projects to security service providers within the next two years,” the report reads.

“Driving this trend is the recognition that unknown risks pose a serious concern, and outsourcing can provide the necessary expertise and resources to manage these risks effectively while enabling organizational resources to focus on implementing a broader security strategy.”

One of the sticking points found in the survey was a lack of network visibility. When administrators reported being worried about “unknown” threats, they often referred to devices and endpoints on the network that had not been properly accounted for and assessed permissions and policies.

“Limited visibility into assets connected to the network leaves organizations exposed around the clock and security leaders unsure of their true level of risk exposure,” noted Critical Start.

The survey is part of a push by Critical Start to sell companies on its managed detection and response (MDR) service offerings. The security vendor believes that by offering continuous monitoring and response capabilities, companies will be better equipped to deal with emerging threats and attack techniques.

However, the vendor admitted that in order for an MDR system to be effective, it must be fed proper data and analysis from external sources including security frameworks and teams of human analysts.

“MDR effectiveness relies heavily on the threat signals it receives,” the report noted.

“Limited visibility into assets connected to the network leaves organizations exposed around the clock and security leaders unsure of their true level of risk exposure.”