Security is biggest IT priority for Canadian businesses, CDW Canada survey reveals

ETOBICOKE, Ont.—A new survey from CDW Canada, a provider of technology solutions and services, has found security continues to be a major 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.

47% of respondents indicated their security budget for the year has increased, while 34% indicated it remained flat. Additionally, 67% said they have a plan in place to respond to a security breach, while 16% noted they did not. 17% 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%)
• Malware (24%)
• Data theft (19%)
• Storing sensitive data in the cloud (15%)

“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, in a prepared statement. “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%), and cloud computing (18%) also remains an important consideration, along with storage consolidation and optimization (14%).

While security budgets increased for many respondents, a limited budget was cited as the main IT challenge for organizations (38%). Limited resources/staff was cited by 23%, followed by limited time at 16%. Security and managing risk (13%) and lack of training/technical expertise (10%) were other challenges.

In addition to security, CDW says the management and storage of growing amounts of data is also on the minds of Canadian businesses. While 52% of those surveyed indicated they are prepared to manage it, 42% of organizations said it is a concern. 84% of those surveyed said their data storage needs are growing.