Peter Dinham
Thursday, 21 May 2009 14:26
Business IT -
Security
Spending on security software by Asia Pacific businesses, including in Australia, is expected to increase along with intervention by government authorities to drive corporate governance in organisations and re-establish confidence in markets.
In its latest report on the Asia Pacific
security software market, IDC surveyed 1,341 IT executives and CIOs in
Australia, India, Korea, PRC and Singapore, and says that 36.6% of
those quizzed about their intentions say they will be increasing IT
spending on infrastructure a software over the next 18 months – with
63% of the group indicating security software will be the main area
where they’ll focus their spending.
IDC says spending on security software will be increased to, both address threats and in order to improve compliance.
Judy Wu, lead analyst for security research in Asia/Pacific, says the
findings confirmed that IT security investments have now become even
more important as businesses recognised the need to hedge themselves
against further damage from security attacks.
"Given the current economic climate and the collapse of the financial
services structure, IDC expects greater regulatory intervention from
government authorities to drive corporate governance in organisations
and re-establish confidence in the markets. As a result, spending on
security software among businesses will also increase."
Wu says that organisations have also become aware that implementing
compliance requirements provide “a good opportunity for them to revisit
their current risk management position and identify opportunities for
business efficiency and growth,” which, she adds, “will in turn lead to
long-term corporate sustainability and social responsibility.”
According to Wu, the economic downturn has impacted the security
industry and how businesses manage security in their different
environments and, she cautions, ”with reduced budget and staff, it is
even more important than before that companies prioritise their limited
resources to address the most critical weak spots within their IT
infrastructure."