Security priorities
IT, Business Execs See Security Needs Differently
Channel partners must deal with the vastly different ways IT/security leaders and senior business executives see their organizations’ security priorities.
Highest Corporate Priorities
When asked which corporate initiative has the highest priority in their companies, 35% of IT and security leaders said protecting against cyber-attacks was the No. 1 priority, while only 5% of C-suite executives said the same.
Most Important Business Assets
25% of IT and security pros cited regulated data and 20% customer data as the most important business asset they need to protect. The C-suite execs pointed to company reputation with customers (25%) and private intra-company communications (14%).
Level of IT Security Confidence
IT and security execs are most confident in their abilities to secure regulated data (51%), customer information (47%) and strategic plans (45%). They are least confident when it comes to liquid financial assets (17%), product specifications and pricing (21%), and private intra-company communications (22%).
Expectation of a Security Breach
While 40% of IT and security pros expect a breach to occur within one year, only 23% of the respondents in the C-suite had the same expectation.
Biggest IT Security Vulnerabilities
IT and security pros cited threats that move faster than defenses (36%), cloud architecture (34%) and penetration via non-standard devices (34%) as the biggest security vulnerabilities. The C-suite pointed to cloud architecture (40%), penetration via non-standard devices (39%), and undersized or under-funded IT security staffs (31%).
Impact of IT Security on Business
When asked how the threat of cyber-attacks and the effort needed to mitigate them affected their companies’ operation, 26% of IT and security execs said it impedes new market entry, 25% said it absorbs too much management time and 24% said it stifles innovation. Execs on the business side saw different effects: 54% said it absorbs too much management time, 46% said it reduces employee efficiency, 45% said it resulted in slow competitive responses and 45% said it impedes product launches.
Most Important Elements of Security Strategy
The IT and security leaders said software backup and recovery (52%), followed by firewalls (49%) and mobile security (49%), were the most importance parts of a security plan. The C-suite execs pointed to cloud-based security solutions (29%), followed by firewalls, anti-virus software and mobile security (all tied at 24%).
Increase in IT Security Funding
Nearly three in 10 (28%) IT and security leaders foresee a significant increase in IT funding this year, and 27% said the same for next year. In the C-suite, only 8% see a significant increase this year and 7% next year.
IT Security Funding Priorities
IT and security execs cited mobile security (35%), software backup and recovery (34%), and firewalls (31%) as funding priorities. C-level business execs see firewalls (12%), mobile security (11%), and software backup and recovery (10%) as priorities.