Over 46% of cyber attacks take hours to get detected, and neutralizing them takes even longer, extending to weeks and months.
Among the respondents to a survey, 82% said that there was no decrease in security network breaches last year in spite of an increase in investment in these areas. Nearly 60% of the IT resources are dedicated to the protection of network layer.
The survey, undertaken for CSG Invotas polled "decision makers of information security, strategy, and solution implementations at companies with 500 or more employees".
According to the report, ongoing management of electronic identities that control access to enterprise, cloud, and mobile resources take the most time to change or update during a security event.
The survey suggests that automation of security workflows and processes will enable companies to respond to potential breaches faster.
IDG Research research director Jen McKean said, "There’s no doubt that improving intrusion response and resolution times reduces the window of exposure from a breach.
"More companies seek security automation tools that will enable them to resolve breaches in mere seconds and help maintain business-as-usual during the remediation period."
A survey report released by security firm Mandiant last month found that the median number of days taken to detect a breach in 2013 was 229, a decrease from 243 days in 2012. Only 33% of the companies surveyed said that the breaches were detected by themselves.
