Over eight in 10 (82%) believe organisations are not investing enough in cybersecurity, particularly when it comes to protecting critical national infrastructure (CNI) according to new data.

The research, commissioned by IoT, M2M and critical communications service and technology provider, Ground Control, quizzed over 500 people in industries such as healthcare, energy, utilities, water, waste, transport, financial services, manufacturing and agriculture.

The poll comes at a time when cyber-attacks remain one of the leading threats to national security and the technology landscape continues to evolve at breakneck speed.

Out of the 500 respondents surveyed, two thirds (62%) said they would feel safer knowing that critical national infrastructure had back up satellite communications in the event of a cyber-attack or connectivity failure, while 46% said they had ‘little or no confidence’ in the healthcare industry’s cybersecurity measures.

No sector scored higher than 31% when it came to moderate or full confidence in their organisation’s cybersecurity measures.

Beyond this, 82% of respondents believe organisations are not investing enough in this area. Additionally, 62% would feel safer knowing that CNI had backup satellite communications to mitigate the risks of a cyber-attack or internet failure.

Confidence in cybersecurity protections remains low across industries, with no sector scoring higher than 31% for moderate or full confidence. Healthcare, in particular, stands out, as 46% of respondents admit to having little or no confidence in its cybersecurity measures.

The survey also reveals a divide in cybersecurity concerns based on income and age. Those in higher-income households (£140,000+) expressed greater concern than those earning £20,000 or less. Similarly, respondents over 60 years old showed more concern than those aged 18-29.

Cellular data often passes through local Internet Service Providers (ISPs), which create potential vulnerabilities, including DDoS attacks, ‘Man-in-the-Middle’ Attacks, and DNS poisoning, whereas satellite communications typically bypass local ISPs, reducing their exposure to regional cyber threats. Additionally, there’s a reduced physical attack surface, as much of the infrastructure is in space, and satellite signals are harder to intercept than cellular.

But there are a growing number of satellite networks and service options, which in turn deliver varying levels of security. Whether as a primary or failover means of communication, when considering satellite, users should explore their providers’ encryption standards, robustness and flexibility of VPNs and firewalls, and whether the option to utilise a private wire is available.

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Alastair MacLeod, CEO of Ground Control commented: “The latest findings on cybersecurity threats to Critical National Infrastructure (CNI) underscore a pressing reality: organisations must rethink their approach to resilience and security. With evidence pointing towards ransomware attacks rising, it is clear that traditional security measures are falling short.

“The public’s lack of confidence in cybersecurity across key sectors such as healthcare and transport further highlights the urgent need for robust, multi-layered security strategies. At Ground Control, we believe satellite IoT connectivity plays a crucial role in enhancing cyber resilience, particularly for mission-critical applications where traditional networks face vulnerabilities.”