A new survey from CDW Canada, a leading provider of technology solutions and services, has found security continues to be a main concern for Canadian organizations as they look ahead to the next year — but, at the same time, they’re becoming better equipped to manage cyber threats.
Forty-seven per cent of respondents indicated their security budget for the year has increased, while 34 per cent indicated it remained flat. Additionally, 67 per cent said they have a plan in place to respond to a security breach, while 16 per cent noted they did not. Seventeen per cent of respondents were not sure if their organization had a plan in place.
When asked about specific security concerns, respondents listed the following:
- Growing cybersecurity threats in general (29 per cent)
- Malware (24 per cent)
- Data theft (19 per cent)
- Storing sensitive data in the cloud (15 per cent)
“When it comes to security, Canadian organizations know the importance of having a solid plan and solutions in place to ensure their businesses remain protected from potentially devastating risks,” said Daniel Reio, Director, Product and Partner Management and Marketing, CDW Canada. “The increase in malware threats over the last few years has heightened awareness, and it’s a positive sign to see organizations are ramping up their efforts with improved security budgets and greater planning.”
Security was the top ranked IT priority for the year (23 per cent), and cloud computing (18 per cent) also remains an important consideration, along with storage consolidation and optimization (14 per cent).
While security budgets increased for many respondents, a limited budget was cited as the main IT challenge for organizations (38 per cent). Limited resources/staff was cited by 23 per cent, followed by limited time at 16 per cent. Security and managing risk (13 per cent) and lack of training/technical expertise (10 per cent) were other challenges.
In addition to security, the management and storage of growing amounts of data is also on the minds of Canadian businesses. While 52 per cent of those surveyed indicated they are prepared to manage it, 42 per cent of organizations said it is a concern. Eighty-four per cent of those surveyed said their data storage needs are growing.
CDW Canada works with Canadian organizations to assess, design and implement the right solution to meet their business challenge — including security, data centre, cloud and more. These solutions and services, paired with strong relationships with top IT vendors and partners, enable CDW to help customers achieve greater success.
CDW Canada conducted a survey of its Canadian customers at its Business Technology Expo (BTEX) Toronto event in May 2019.
For more information about CDW Canada and its services, please visit: www.cdw.ca.
About CDW Canada
CDW Canada is a leading provider of technology solutions for business, government, education and healthcare. CDW Canada helps customers achieve their goals by delivering integrated technology solutions and services that help customers navigate an increasingly complex IT market and maximize the return on their technology investment. Areas of focus include software, networking, unified communications, data centre and mobility solutions. CDW Canada is on the Channel Daily News Top 100 Solutions Provider list in Canada, and is a wholly owned subsidiary of Vernon Hills, Illinois-based CDW Corporation, a Fortune 500 company. For more information, visit www.cdw.ca.
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