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| Source: Fortinet website. Fortinet's solutions cover businesses and service providers. Asia Pacific CIOs and CTOs generally believe the job of keeping their enterprise protected is becoming more challenging, with 91% of respondents in new research* from Fortinet, a high-performance network security provider, saying that securing the enterprise has become more complex. Serious boardroom pressure to keep the enterprise secure has jumped almost one-third in the last 12 months, making security paramount and a primary consideration over other business initiatives. |
Asia Pacific highlights include:
- Among ITDMs recording the highest boardroom pressure, 63% admit abandoning or delaying at least one new business initiative because of IT security concerns
- The increasing frequency and complexity of threats (87%) and the new demands of emerging technology like the Internet of Things (IoT) and biometrics (85%) pose the biggest challenge to ITDMs to keep their organisations secure.
- The majority of ITDMs have been provoked into action by rising data privacy concerns (89%) and securing big data initiatives (89%); in the majority of cases this means new IT security investments.
The growing awareness of IT security within the boardroom – and its resulting pressure and involvement – was cited as a major contributor to making the IT security job more difficult, with three-quarters rating awareness of senior management as ‘high’ or ‘very high’ today. This is a significant jump from slightly over half (51%) one year ago.
The survey also reveals that a total of 54% of all Asia Pacific ITDMs surveyed have slowed down or cancelled a new application, service or other initiative because of cyber-security fears. The figure is 63% among those reporting a very high level of boardroom pressure and scrutiny around IT security. Mobility related applications and strategies are the biggest sticking points, with cloud also scoring highly.
The rising volume/complexity of advanced persistent threats (APTs), DDoS attacks and other cyber threats, and the demands of emerging technology trends like IoT and biometrics, are the most prevalent drivers making ITDMs’ jobs more challenging.
The rising volume/complexity of advanced persistent threats (APTs), DDoS attacks and other cyber threats, and the demands of emerging technology trends like IoT and biometrics, are the most prevalent drivers making ITDMs’ jobs more challenging.
There is a big expectation across industry sectors that biometrics capabilities in commercial products and services will arrive very soon, with 40% of Asia Pacific ITDMs claiming the technology has already landed or will do so in the next 12 months. Sixty-two percent say they already have the tools to ensure it can be managed securely. Of the 38% who don't feel prepared today, 43% believe they will struggle to secure biometrics in the future as well.
The high-profile issues surrounding data privacy are provoking action, with 89% of Asia Pacific ITDMs planning to change their outlook on IT security strategy in response. Of these, 56% are inclined to invest more money and resources to address the challenge, with 44% preferring instead to rethink existing strategy.
Meanwhile big data and data analytics were cited by 89% of respondents as a change driver for IT security strategy, with 49% of the respondents planning investments.
Industry sectors with the highest predisposition to invest in IT security were FMCG (61%) and retail (59%). The research also indicated organisations of greatest size have the greatest tendency to invest.
When asked if they had been provided with sufficient human and financial resources for IT security in the last 12 months, 77% of Asia Pacific ITDMs said yes. Eight in ten felt they will also have sufficient resources in the next 12 months.
"With IT security on the boardroom agenda, this and other challenges are clearly adding weight onto the shoulders of senior IT professionals and questioning the ability of some organisations to exploit innovation while remaining secure,” said John Maddison, Vice President of Marketing, Products, Fortinet. “These organisations must act now to address the impact of the growing threat environment and increased scrutiny on IT security, re-evaluating their goals to ensure they strike the right balance and achieve resilience in the face of cyber threats.
"The good news is that many are positive and feeling well equipped with human and financial resources for the IT security challenges that lie ahead. However, to do so points toward intelligent new strategies and more investment in security technologies.”
*The Fortinet Security Census 2014 was undertaken on behalf of Fortinet by independent market research company Lightspeed GMI. The survey involved 1,610 qualified IT decision makers (504 were from Asia Pacific) – predominantly CIOs, CTOs, IT Directors and Heads of IT – largely from organisations with more than 500 employees. Eight percent of respondents came from organisations in the 100 to 500-employee bracket. Fifteen countries participated in the survey: Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Colombia, France, Germany, India, Italy, Japan, Korea, Mexico, Spain, UK and the US.
The high-profile issues surrounding data privacy are provoking action, with 89% of Asia Pacific ITDMs planning to change their outlook on IT security strategy in response. Of these, 56% are inclined to invest more money and resources to address the challenge, with 44% preferring instead to rethink existing strategy.
Meanwhile big data and data analytics were cited by 89% of respondents as a change driver for IT security strategy, with 49% of the respondents planning investments.
Industry sectors with the highest predisposition to invest in IT security were FMCG (61%) and retail (59%). The research also indicated organisations of greatest size have the greatest tendency to invest.
When asked if they had been provided with sufficient human and financial resources for IT security in the last 12 months, 77% of Asia Pacific ITDMs said yes. Eight in ten felt they will also have sufficient resources in the next 12 months.
"With IT security on the boardroom agenda, this and other challenges are clearly adding weight onto the shoulders of senior IT professionals and questioning the ability of some organisations to exploit innovation while remaining secure,” said John Maddison, Vice President of Marketing, Products, Fortinet. “These organisations must act now to address the impact of the growing threat environment and increased scrutiny on IT security, re-evaluating their goals to ensure they strike the right balance and achieve resilience in the face of cyber threats.
"The good news is that many are positive and feeling well equipped with human and financial resources for the IT security challenges that lie ahead. However, to do so points toward intelligent new strategies and more investment in security technologies.”
*The Fortinet Security Census 2014 was undertaken on behalf of Fortinet by independent market research company Lightspeed GMI. The survey involved 1,610 qualified IT decision makers (504 were from Asia Pacific) – predominantly CIOs, CTOs, IT Directors and Heads of IT – largely from organisations with more than 500 employees. Eight percent of respondents came from organisations in the 100 to 500-employee bracket. Fifteen countries participated in the survey: Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Colombia, France, Germany, India, Italy, Japan, Korea, Mexico, Spain, UK and the US.
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