Organisations are now prioritising cybersecurity above all other technology areas, according to new research.
A survey of 1800 private and public sector customers in the UK and Ireland by IT reseller Softcat reports 62 percent of firms are focusing on cybersecurity over the next 12 months.
Adam Louca, Softcat’s chief technologist for security, said the figure is understandable.
“More organisations are recognising the vital role cybersecurity plays in enabling their tech adoption and unlocking further opportunities for innovation. Rising investment levels and C-suite buy-in reflect this evolving mindset, one that is moving away from an ad-hoc reactive threat response,” he said.
“It’s clear from the report’s findings that organisations understand that cybersecurity must underpin every part of digital transformation and investment needs to be a long-term strategy. This ensures that gains made are not lost as hybrid working and cloud approaches evolve.”
Devices, hybrid infrastructure and cloud also on the agenda
After cybersecurity, devices is the second most cited technology investment area for the next year as organisations continue to invest in the digital workspace (46 percent of respondents).
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At a time of skills shortages and the great resignation, equipping staff with the right devices and tools they need to work well from anywhere will deliver productivity gains and a high-quality and secure employee experience, said Softcat.
Hybrid infrastructure is the third most important technology investment area, with 21 percent of customers citing datacentre and private cloud as a priority area over the next 12 months, followed by public cloud (17 percent) and managed infrastructure and support services (16 percent).
It is also clear from the survey findings that sustainability is moving higher up the agenda for many businesses, large and small, with 19 percent of respondents citing it as a priority this year, up from 9.6 percent in 2021.
“The past year has been one of transition and adjustment for our customers after the disruption and uncertainty of recent years,” said Softcat’s chief commercial officer, Richard Wyn Griffith.
“Today, organisations are focused on switching off ‘emergency’ digital transformation mode and turning on smarter digital transformation, setting a clear and concise roadmap for the deployment of new technologies.”
