Many businesses upped their security and IT spend during pandemic

To ensure they can continue to operate at full capacity, large organizations have shifted their attention to enhancing security and improving remote collaboration. 

This is according to a new report from PwC and Qualtrics, based on a poll of 200 CIOs, CTOs and IT senior decision-makers, which states that the Covid-19 pandemic has been a key driver of accelerated transformation.

Asked about post-pandemic strategy, two thirds (65 percent) of IT execs in the US said they expect at least a quarter of their workforce to work from home on a permanent basis. Further, a vast majority (85 percent) said they are listening to what their employees want, and are investing in specific areas accordingly.

Two of the main areas in which they will be investing further are security and collaboration. More than four in five (82 percent) will make purchases relating to security and privacy, 78 percent will invest in cloud infrastructure, and 67 percent in employee engagement.

In terms of employee communication tools, cloud-based productivity topped the priority list (89 percent), followed by investments in video conferencing tools, email client apps and workflow automation tools.

With the introduction of mass remote working, cybersecurity was forced into the limelight. Remote workers are generally considered less secure than those operating within the digital walls of an organization, leaving businesses struggling to balance the need to tighten security poster and enable productivity.

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