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Part 4: Future Strategies and Priorities

Cyber attacks aren’t going to decrease any time soon, and malicious actors and nation states will continue to target DIB organizations. In this section, respondents look at how they can increase their security posture in the future.

Top Cybersecurity Priorities

Top cybersecurity priorities for the next year include:

Q. From the options listed below, what are your top cybersecurity priorities for your company in the upcoming 12 months?

RADICL_38%_Report
Deploying multi-factor authentication across most or all systems
RADICL_36%_Report
Enhancing network security to safeguard against external threats
RADICL_36%_Report
Strengthening access control policies and enforcement around sensitive data
RADICL_32%_Report
Deploying advanced endpoint protection (e.g., EDR technology)
RADICL_31%_Report
Achieving or advancing compliance (e.g., CMMC) requirements
RADICL_30%_Report
Improving cloud security monitoring and protection
RADICL_22%_Report
Strengthening incident response planning and execution capabilities
RADICL_16%_Report
Conducting regular vulnerability assessments and/or penetration testing
RADICL_15%_Report
Improving log analysis and incident investigation capabilities
RADICL_13%_Report
Enhancing security awareness and training programs for employees
RADICL_1%_Report
Finding an outsourced security provider (e.g., MSSP, MDR)

43% expect their general security budget to increase

Over the next fiscal year, 43% plan to increase budget allocation for cybersecurity, 51% plan to maintain the current budget allocation for cybersecurity, and 4% plan to decrease budget allocation for cybersecurity. 3% are not sure what the plan will be.

Q. How does your company plan to allocate its cybersecurity budget in the next fiscal year?

Increase budget allocation for cybersecurity 43%

Maintain the current budget allocation for cybersecurity 51%

Decrease budget allocation for cybersecurity 4%

I'm not sure 3%

63% expect their outsourced security budget to increase

63% expect their budget for outsourced security to increase, while 10% expect their budget for outsourced security to decrease. 27% expect no change to their budget.

Q. How do you expect your outsourced security budget to change in the next 12 months?

Increasing budget 63%

No change to budget 27%

Decreasing budget 10%

Summary

As security teams prepare for the next year, their biggest priority is deploying multi-factor authentication across most or all systems, enhancing network security, and strengthening access control policies. It seems that the biggest focus this coming year will be protecting employees and in-house users (MFA, access controls), while also engaging in proactive security against threats (enhancing network security).

This year, 43% that expect their general security budget to increase, which is lower than last year’s 50%. However, the 63% who expect their outsourced security budget to increase is much higher than last year’s 56% — perhaps signaling an increased awareness of the benefits of outsourcing rather than investing in-house.

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