As cyber threats continue to escalate, IT leaders are facing an unprecedented crisis. A recent survey conducted by Naoris Protocol has shed light on the deep concerns of IT directors regarding cybersecurity weaknesses and preparedness, revealing a stark outlook that underscores the urgency with which organizations are acting to address vulnerabilities exposed by an increasingly hostile digital threat landscape.

The survey, which interviewed 100 IT directors at companies with annual turnover of $300m or more based in the US, UK, European Union, and APAC regions, highlighted the seismic shift towards decentralised networks. Centralized cyber security solutions have been identified as single points of failure for networks, exposing vulnerable devices to attacks and breaches from multiple adversaries.

Furthermore, centralised cloud services have further concentrated risk, while weak endpoint detection leaves systems vulnerable. The top priority for IT directors is network resilience, cited by 70% of respondents as crucial to their current cyber security strategy. Data management efficiency also ranks highly, cited by 39% of respondents, reflecting the need to transform compute and storage solutions.

Scalability – essential for meeting the exploding demand of internet of things (IoT) ecosystems – is identified as a key advantage by 31%. The survey highlights specific blockchain and AI-driven security enhancements most valued by IT leaders. Specifically, 34% named continuous real-time validation – a hallmark of blockchain technology – as the most promising security development.

Another critical aspect emphasized by IT leaders is eliminating single points of failure, which was cited by 20%. This underscores the need for decentralized physical infrastructure networks (DePIN), a blockchain-powered technology that decentralizes physical infrastructure such as cloud, network nodes, data storage, and edge devices. DePIN is said to be able to mitigate risks by transforming devices into secure validator nodes that continuously validate each other, enabling a zero-trust, always-validated data architecture.

The survey revealed that 73% of IT directors now classify DePIN as “extremely important” to their cyber security strategy, with an additional 25% viewing it as significantly important. This highlights an industry at a critical inflection point, where organizations are rapidly investing in DePIN projects to enhance security and operational efficiency.

Assessing the findings of the report, David Carvalho, CEO and founder of Naoris Protocol, warned that the cyber security landscape was reaching a critical tipping point. “IT directors at major global firms clearly recognise the threats posed by increasingly sophisticated and AI-driven cyber attacks, and are urgently adopting DePIN technologies to mitigate these risks,” he said.

“We are witnessing a seismic shift as enterprises decentralise infrastructure, dramatically enhancing resilience, security, and operational efficiency,” Carvalho added. The rapid investment in DePIN projects underscores the heightened urgency and emphasis on cybersecurity, as organizations strive to stay ahead of the evolving threat landscape.

As organizations continue to navigate the complex world of cybersecurity, it's clear that decentralization will play a critical role in enhancing resilience, security, and operational efficiency. By embracing DePIN technologies, businesses can stay ahead of the threat curve and protect their networks from increasingly sophisticated cyber attacks.