Survey of more than 1,000 IT and security professionals shows 48% of organizations lack proper privilege management processes and only 17% effectively monitor sensitive Active Directory changes
COLUMBUS, Ohio – Cayosoft, the leader in hybrid Microsoft Active Directory (AD) and Entra ID security and recovery, today released the results of its 2025 Active Directory Insights report, identifying glaring gaps in resilience, security, and operational efficiency that could leave critical systems exposed to attack. The survey of more than 1000 IT and security professionals, conducted by Petri Media, revealed that the majority of organizations rely on insufficient recovery solutions, while modern automation and security practices lag alarmingly behind.
“Though Active Directory just turned 25 years old, it continues to be the backbone of nearly every IT infrastructure,” said Robert Bobel, CEO of Cayosoft. “Despite this, well over half of organizations still use insufficient methods for management and security, creating huge risks.”
Key Findings:
- Inadequate Protection: 48% of organizations lack proper privilege management processes and only 17% effectively monitor sensitive AD changes, exposing critical systems to insider threats and misconfigurations.
- Manual, Error-Prone Processes: 47% of IT teams still rely on native tools that lack modern functionality.
- Lack of Tools: 88% of organizations reported a need for unified visibility across hybrid AD environments but lacked the tools to achieve it.
Hybrid Complexity Challenges
Modern hybrid environments require advanced, bult-for-hybrid tools to avoid blind spots in security, visibility, and control. The survey revealed 40% of hybrid organizations still rely on on-premises AD as their primary management and security solution, leaving security, compliance, and service availability in jeopardy.
“In today’s hybrid environments, many organizations leverage Entra ID for cloud-based identity and access, but remain critically exposed through their AD services,” said Dmitry Sotkinov, Chief Product Officer, Cayosoft. “It’s equivalent to locking the windows of a building without closing the front door.”
Commissioned by Cayosoft, the report is based on a survey of over 1000 IT and security professionals covering a range of company sizes and representing a breadth of industries. The survey was administered by the Petri.com Research Lab, a division of the Petri.com IT Knowledgebase, one of the world’s leading content and community resources for IT professionals and system administrators.
Demonstrated by Cayosoft’s 98% customer retention rate and 99% customer satisfaction rate, Cayosoft is trusted by enterprises and government organizations worldwide to confidently manage, monitor, and recover their Microsoft environments. Its solutions enable IT professionals to proactively detect and respond to threats, enforce governance policies, and achieve seamless hybrid administration without unnecessary complexity. With a focus on innovation and resilience, Cayosoft continues to redefine identity security and management, empowering organizations to protect their IT infrastructure while optimizing operational performance.
Click here to download the full report: https://www.cayosoft.com/resources/protect-your-hybrid-active-directory-to-avoid-dire-consequences/
About Cayosoft:
Cayosoft is a hybrid Microsoft enterprise management leader, delivering comprehensive management, monitoring, and recovery solutions tailored for Active Directory, Azure AD, and Microsoft 365 environments. Purpose-built for modern hybrid IT infrastructures, Cayosoft simplifies identity lifecycle management, automates administrative tasks, and enhances security by reducing attack surfaces. Its patented Instant Forest Recovery technology ensures rapid disaster recovery, mitigating the risks of ransomware and other cyber threats. With an emphasis on efficiency and compliance, Cayosoft eliminates the need for complex scripting and disjointed management tools, providing IT teams with a unified platform to streamline operations and safeguard critical identity systems.
To learn more, visit cayosoft.com and follow @cayosoft on LinkedIn, X/Twitter, and Facebook.
