IDC OPINION

Cybersecurity threats are among the highest concerns of IT managers and organizational executives alike because security incidents and data breaches can result in reputational loss, direct economic loss, and regulatory sanctions. IDC research shows that 93% of organizations have been attacked within the past 12 months — and, we believe, tongue in cheek, that the other 7% of are simply unaware of it. Moreover, nearly half of organizations have suffered at least one unrecoverable data event within the past three years.

Cybersecurity risk notwithstanding, IDC further shows that 60% of organizations have completed digital transformation (DX) projects with the intent of being “data driven.” DX initiatives are seen as critical projects to improving the competitiveness of the organization by feeding faster, more accurate decision information to business leaders. This research shows that data availability is a key factor in more than half of ITX projects and consumes about one-third of the ITX budget.

IT transformation (ITX) is a key component of a DX strategy, and data security and availability are cornerstones of ITX. However, managing data protection across increasingly hybrid environments is becoming more complex as threats become more diverse and sophisticated. Moreover, the nature of DX — distributing and collecting data from diverse systems and geographies — reduces visibility and control of the data for IT staff. The majority of organizations now have data stored in the core, cloud and edge, often siloed due to different data management tools and policies. According to IDC research, data security is cited by IT professionals and the component of data privacy and compliance that requires the greatest attention in 20211 . Among those we surveyed, 32% cited advanced malware as the number one source of breaches.

Data availability and security is foundational to ITX and therefore DX. Effective use of data results in improved operational efficiencies and organizational performance, but IT teams need to elevate and enhance their cybersecurity strategies accordingly. Cyber protection – defined as the convergence of data protection and cyber security – is a key to mitigating risk.

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Addressing Cybersecurity and Data Protection Holistically with Cyber Protection

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