2018 Thales Data Threat Report: 94% of organizations using cloud, IoT and other transformative technologies, data breaches at all-time high

SINGAPORE– Jan. 26, 2018 –
Thales, a leader in critical information systems, cybersecurity and data
security, announces the results of its 2018 Thales Data Threat Report, Global
Edition, issued in conjunction with analyst firm 451 Research. The report finds
digitally transformative technologies are shaping the way organizations do
business and moving them to a data-driven world, with 94% of organizations
using sensitive data in cloud, big data, IoT, container, blockchain and/or
mobile environments.

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at an all time high – what are businesses doing to protect themselves? https://dtr.thalesesecurity.com/

Digital transformation is driving efficiency and scale as well
as making possible new business models that drive growth and profitability.
Enterprises are embracing this opportunity by leveraging all that digital
technology offers, with adoption at record levels:

·  42%
of organizations use more than 50 SaaS applications, 57% use three or more IaaS
vendors, and 53% use three or more PaaS environments

·  99%
are using big data

·  94%
are implementing IoT technologies

·  91%
are working on or using mobile payments

This rush to embrace new environments has created more attack
surfaces and new risks for data that need to be offset by data security
controls. The extent and impact of increased threats is most clearly shown in
levels of data breaches and vulnerability:

·  In
2018, 67% of respondents were breached, with 36% breached in the last year – a
marked increase from 2017, which saw 26% breached in the last year

·  Consequently,
44% of respondents feel “very” or “extremely” vulnerable to data threats

While times have changed with respect to technological
advancements, security strategies have not– in large part because spending
realities do not match up with what works best to protect data:

·  77%
of respondents cite data-at-rest security solutions as being most effective at
preventing breaches, with network security (75%) and data-in-motion (75%)
following close behind

·  Despite
this, 57% of respondents are spending the most on endpoint and mobile security
technologies, followed by analysis and correlation tools (50%)

·  When
it comes to protecting data, the gap between perception and reality is
apparent, with data-at-rest security solutions coming in at the bottom (40%) of
IT security spending priorities

This disconnect is also reflected in organizations’ attitude
towards encryption, a key technology with a proven track record of protecting
data. While spending decisions don’t reflect its popularity, respondents still
express a strong interest in deploying encryption technologies:

·  44%
cite encryption as the top tool for increased cloud usage

·  35%
believe encryption is necessary to drive big data adoption – only three points
behind the top perceived driver, identity technologies (38%), and one point
behind the second (improved monitoring and reporting tools, at 36%)

·  48%
cite encryption as the top tool for protecting IoT deployments, and 41% as the
top tool for protecting container deployments

·  In
addition, encryption technologies top the list of desired data security
purchases in the next year, with 44% citing tokenization capabilities as the
number one priority, followed by encryption with “bring your own key” (BYOK)
capabilities

·  Encryption
is also cited as the top tool (42%) for meeting new privacy requirements such
as the European Union General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)

“This year we found that organizations are dealing with massive
change as a result of digital transformation, but this change is creating new
attack surfaces and new risks that need to be offset by data security controls.
But while times have changed, security strategies have not – security spending
increases that focus on the data itself are at the bottom of IT security
spending priorities, leaving customer data, financial information and
intellectual property severely at risk. If security strategies aren’t equally
as dynamic in this fast-changing threat environment, the rate of breaches will
continue to increase.”

“From cloud computing, to mobile devices, digital payments and
emerging IoT applications, organizations are re-shaping how they do business –
and this digital transformation is reliant on data. As is borne out by our 2018
Data Threat Report, we’re now at the point where we have to admit that data
breaches are the new reality, with over a third of organizations suffering a
breach in the past year. In this increasingly data-driven world it is therefore
hugely important to take steps to protect that data wherever it is created,
shared or stored.”

To offset the data breach trend and take advantage of new
technologies and innovations, at minimum organizations should adhere to the
following practices:

·  Leverage
encryption and access controls as a primary defense for data and consider an
“encrypt everything” strategy

·  Select
data security platform offerings that address multiple use cases to reduce
complexity and costs

·  Implement
security analytics and multi-factor authentication solutions to help identify
threatening patterns of data use

Download your copy of the 2018 Thales Data Threat Report – Global Edition.

Industry insight and views on the latest data security trends
can be found on the Thales eSecurity blog at blog.thalesesecurity.com.

Follow Thales eSecurity on Twitter @Thalesesecurity,
and on LinkedIn, Facebook and YouTube.

The data in this study is based on web and phone interviews of
1,200 senior executives in Germany; Japan; India; the Netherlands; Sweden;
South Korea; the UK; and the U.S. Most have a major influence on or are the
sole decision maker for IT at their respective companies. Respondents
represented a number of industries, including: automotive; energy; government;
financial services; healthcare; IT; manufacturing; retail; and
telecommunications.

451 Research is a preeminent information technology research and
advisory company. With a core focus on technology innovation and market
disruption, we provide essential insight for leaders of the digital economy.
More than 100 analysts and consultants deliver that insight via syndicated
research, advisory services and live events to over 1,000 client organizations
in North America, Europe and around the world. Founded in 2000 and
headquartered in New York, 451 Research is a division of The 451 Group.

Thales eSecurity is the leader in advanced data security
solutions and services that deliver trust wherever information is created,
shared or stored. We ensure that the data belonging to companies and government
entities is both secure and trusted in any environment – on-premises, in the
cloud, in data centres or big data environments – without sacrificing business
agility. Security doesn’t just reduce risk, it’s an enabler of the digital
initiatives that now permeate our daily lives – digital money, e-identities,
healthcare, connected cars and, with the internet of things (IoT), even
household devices. Thales provides everything an organisation needs to protect
and manage its data, identities and intellectual property, and meet regulatory
compliance – through encryption, advanced key management, tokenisation, and
privileged-user control and high-assurance solutions. Security professionals
around the globe rely on Thales to confidently accelerate their organisation’s
digital transformation. Thales eSecurity is part of Thales Group.

Thales is a global technology leader for the Aerospace,
Transport, Defence and Security markets. With 64,000 employees in 56 countries,
Thales reported sales of €14.9 billion in 2016. With over 25,000 engineers and
researchers, Thales has a unique capability to design and deploy equipment,
systems and services to meet the most complex security requirements. Its
exceptional international footprint allows it to work closely with its
customers all over the world.

Positioned as a value-added systems integrator, equipment
supplier and service provider, Thales is one of Europe’s leading players in the
security market. The Group’s security teams work with government agencies,
local authorities and enterprise customers to develop and deploy integrated,
resilient solutions to protect citizens, sensitive data and critical
infrastructure.

Thales offers world-class cryptographic capabilities and is a
global leader in cybersecurity solutions for defence, government, critical
infrastructure providers, telecom companies, industry and the financial
services sector. With a value proposition addressing the entire data security
chain, Thales offers a comprehensive range of services and solutions ranging
from security consulting, data protection, digital trust management and design,
development, integration, certification and security maintenance of
cybersecured systems, to cyberthreat management, intrusion detection and
security supervision through cybersecurity Operation Centres in France, the
United Kingdom, The Netherlands and Hong Kong.