Cybersecurity Takes Top Tech Priority as COVID-19 Spurs Transformation Projects

• Survey of over 600 IT leaders reveals the extent of COVID-19 disruption from a technological standpoint
• Areas like cybersecurity, network infrastructure and cloud strategy need urgent adaptation for a distributed workforce
• Cybersecurity is the top technology priority for digital transformation projects

A new survey sheds light on the highest priorities for IT teams in light of COVID-19 (i.e. remote workforce). According to the findings, cybersecurity is now a top-of-the-list priority, followed by cloud, data analytics and network infrastructure, as organizations urgently modernize their core technologies.

Cybersecurity is the top technology priority for planned digital transformation projects as businesses adapt to a surge in remote working, according to a survey of over 600 IT leaders conducted by the organizers of Digital Transformation Expo (DTX).

26 percent of the respondents cited cybersecurity as the main focus for planned projects amid COVID-19 and the technological and operational restructuring associated with the pandemic. 21 percent of respondents said the cloud is their main focus, while 15 percent cited data analytics, and 14 percent named network infrastructure as their center of attention.

Adapting digital culture for a new world of work was the main challenge to overcome in the next year, according to 18 percent of IT leaders.

“Covid-19 is a catalyst for digital transformation, but it’s a leveler too,” said James McGough, managing director of Imago Techmedia, the company behind DTX. “We’re hearing from IT leaders that there is a shift in which technologies businesses are investing in. Ensuring the vast majority of employees could work from home practically overnight has exposed issues with IT strategy, and modernizing the core tech stack has become an immediate priority for just about every organization.”

“Many businesses have found that areas like cybersecurity measures, network infrastructure and cloud strategy need urgent adaptation for a distributed workforce,” added McGough.