About 40% of respondents said their IT budgets increased. When it comes to budgets being slashed, 40% said software spending would be cut; 35% think it’s hardware spending and 29% believe it will be training and certifications that get cut. Replacing outdated IT infrastructure was identified by 29% of respondents and security incidents or concerns by 28%.

Relentless cybercriminals pose continuous threats leading to 40% of respondents citing cybersecurity and data protection as the foremost IT challenge in 2023. Legacy systems hampering growth and innovation were reported as the second biggest challenge by 24% of respondents.

Forty-five percent of respondents prioritize the improvement of IT security overall. Thirty-nine percent of respondents cited IT automation as technology in focus for investment, followed by 30% for email security and 27% for endpoint detection and response (EDR).

Nearly half of those surveyed want to invest in security awareness training to empower their employees to become the strongest link to their cybersecurity strategy. Another 36% of respondents were interested in vulnerability scanning tools that detect and address weaknesses in the IT infrastructure before attackers can exploit them. Additionally, 47% of survey participants plan to add or change cybersecurity solutions this year, while 30% said backup and recovery solutions are on their radar, noting the importance of a comprehensive data protection plan. About 22% of the respondents also anticipate staffing growth in cybersecurity.

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