A survey has revealed that the majority of companies perceive IT security not merely as a means of defending against cyber attacks, but as a core management strategy for digital transformation and sustainable growth. This confirms in numbers the trend of the rising strategic importance of security alongside the spread of cloud, AI, and automation.

On the 30th, Kaspersky released the results of a survey conducted by its Internal Research Center targeting 1,800 decision-makers and security experts across various industries, including IT, manufacturing, finance, and retail, in 18 countries worldwide.

99% of the responding companies stated that they view IT security as a long-term strategic investment, and that the perception is spreading that it is an essential element for accelerating digital transformation and enhancing business resilience.

'Data protection' was found to be the most important business value gained from security investment, at 35%.

This was followed by the ability to safely adopt new technologies such as cloud, AI, and automation (27%), reduction of financial risks and unexpected losses (24%), value creation through prevention (23%), and support for safe business growth (23%).

In particular, decision-makers at large corporations with more than 2,500 employees showed a prominent tendency to cite strengthening IT security capabilities as a core strategic task.

Priorities also differed depending on whether or not there was experience with security incidents.

Companies that have not experienced any security incidents in the past year evaluated improved operational efficiency and regulatory compliance as key functions of security, whereas companies that have experienced incidents placed greater emphasis on the ability to adopt new safety technologies, reduction of financial and human risks, and strengthening competitiveness.

“Cybersecurity is evolving into a strategic foundation that enables innovation and sustainable growth,” said Ilya Markelov, Head of Integrated Platform Product Line at Kaspersky. “By integrating prevention, detection, and response into a single integrated ecosystem."This is also the reason why we continue to invest in platform-based solutions like Kaspersky Next XDR Expert," he said.

Lee Hyo-eun, Country Manager of Kaspersky Korea, stated, “As new cyber threats such as supply chain attacks and the exploitation of AI are rapidly increasing, security is becoming a key factor determining corporate competitiveness,” adding, “We must move beyond existing firewall-centric security systems and integrate cyber security into our long-term digital strategy.”

Along with this report, Kaspersky recommended understanding threat context through the use of Kaspersky Threat Intelligence and integrated operation of EPP, EDR, and XDR through the adoption of the Kaspersky Next product family.