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IT security trends: 2017 prioritizes cloud, network, endpoints

The 2017 TechTarget IT Priorities Survey reports a number of key IT security trends about where enterprises and infosec professionals place their time and resources.

Diana Hwang
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Published: 01 Jun 2017

Prioritizing endless cybersecurity initiatives is not an easy task for infosec teams.

Endless attacks, such as the recent WannaCry ransomware virus or other innovative types of ransomware that can potentially wreak havoc on businesses, represent one of many IT security trends professionals need to think about when protecting their organizations.

Indeed, as IT security trends are showing a growing number of organizations deploying cloud services, infosec professionals have revealed their top 2017 cybersecurity initiatives in the latest TechTarget survey. It's no surprise that securing the network and ensuring the protection of the abundant number of endpoints in enterprises were considered among the top cybersecurity priorities for 2017. No businesses want to suffer the consequences from data loss of sensitive corporate information. 

TechTarget's ninth annual 2017 IT Priorities Survey reveals the top tech initiatives IT professionals intended to focus on for the year. Among the 971 IT professionals interviewed, 21%, or 207 respondents, represent North American IT professionals who spend the majority of their time on security-related tasks for their organizations.

IT security trends: Cloud is a hot button

This year's IT security priorities show cloud service deployment, network-based security and endpoint security among other key initiatives such as encryption and vulnerability management for 2017. The survey reports 45% of respondents are planning to deploy a cloud-based storage initiative this year, requiring infosec teams to focus on cloud security and to ensure their company's data remains safe from would-be hackers.

The survey also shows IT security trends revealing the differences between small-, medium- and large-sized business cloud deployments.

2017 IT security trends

Small businesses lean toward a hybrid cloud model (46%), while medium-sized businesses prefer an on-premises private cloud model (57%). Large businesses have a variety of choices, with most respondents leaning toward on-premises private cloud (56%) or an infrastructure as a service (IaaS) hosted private cloud model (56%).

Thrifty spending in 2017 also requires that IT review their budgets. According to the survey, small businesses are the biggest spenders, with 25% increasing their 2017 budget by 10%. Medium businesses are moderate spenders, with 24% increasing their 2017 budget by 5-10%. Large businesses are thrifty, with 29% keeping their 2017 budgets the same as the previous year. 

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