Data security, mobile and the cloud are the main headaches for IT leaders says BCS

07.01.2015
Security and loss of data, mobile working and the cloud are the top things that keep digital leaders awake at night, according to a survey from BCS, The Chartered Institute for IT.

The Institute's annual Digital Leaders survey among 350 senior IT pros gives a snapshot of what organisations are planning for over the next 12 months, and the longer term period of 3-5 years.

The survey revealed that information security (60 percent), cloud computing (55 percent) and mobile computing - including BYOD- (53 percent), are the top priorities for many organisations over the next 12 months. More organisations are realising that such technological developments can potentially benefit their business, help increase productivity and ensure business continuity, said the Institute.

But 92 percent of digital leaders feel their organisations do not have enough resources to address the management issues and IT trends that their company has prioritised. More than half of the digital leaders surveyed (53 percent) said they needed enhanced IT skills among their existing workforce, and an equal number required additional IT staff that are suitably qualified. Only 8 percent said they had enough resources.

Looking to the next three to five years, the survey revealed that the priorities for organisations are information security (54 percent), big data (42 percent) and cloud computing (40 percent).

Adam Thilthorpe, director of professionalism at the Institute said: "It's quite clear that security is the main thing keeping IT professionals awake at night. This is no longer an IT issue alone, but the most important issue for the board. The reputations of many organisations now rely not only on the traditional elements such as customer service but also increasingly on the way in which they handle and secure their customers' data."

(www.computerworlduk.com)

Antony Savvas