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A survey by Logicalis has shown that skills are the biggest barrier to digital transformation in the Channel Islands, according to top IT executives.
62% of Chief Information Officers in the Channel Islands cited skills as the main barrier to digital transformation in their organisation, nearly double the global average of 34% and the UK average of 29%.
Organisational culture, cost, and complex legacy infrastructures were also key issues, however just 23% of Channel Island CIOs cited security as a main barrier, compared to a global average of 34%.
Pictured: Tom Bale, Business Development and Technical Director, Logicalis.
Tom Bale, Business Development and Technical Director, Logicalis, said: “Digital technology is changing everything and IT and security are becoming an increasingly important part of what every organisation does. The challenges facing IT executives are growing and as the survey shows, every area has slightly different concerns.
“Skills are clearly a huge issue for Channel Island businesses. Outsourcing IT services, leveraging the skills of global groups such as Logicalis, which train home-grown talent to international standards, is one way of mitigating the problem. 38% of Channel Island IT executives we surveyed plan to provide additional training and development to help digital transformation, however with just 19% planning to increase their budgets, compared to a global average of 33%, this is likely to remain a big issue.”
The Logicalis survey, which questioned nearly 1,000 Chief Information Officers and IT directors around the world about issues surrounding digital transformation, also found Channel Island CIOs have slightly different worries to their global counterparts regarding IT security threats. 88% think ransomware and corporate extortion pose a significant risk to businesses over the next 12 months - higher than the European average of 80% and the global average of 72%.
Identity and credential hacking is also a prime security concern for Channel Island CIOs, with 73% believing they will pose a significant threat to business over the next 12 months, compared to a global average of 43% and a European average of 50%.
Pictured: 88% of Channel Islands CIOs think ransomware and corporate extortion pose a significant risk to businesses over the next 12 months.
IT executives in the Channel Islands may also have a greater awareness of other security issues. 50% of Channel Island CIOs identified ghostware concealed attacks that evade forensics as a concern, compared to just 27% of CIOs globally and 41% of CIOs in Europe.
When it comes to using Cloud based services, security is a much bigger concern. 65% of Channel Island CIOs cite security as a challenge to increased use of Cloud services, less than the global average of 70%, and the European average (UK, Ireland, Germany and Spain) of 80%.
Despite this, security concerns or considerations have only prevented or stopped 19% of new IT projects going ahead compared to a European average of 29%, a global average of 33% and in the UK where they put the brakes on 36% of projects.
Pictured: Ricky Magalhaes, Head of Offshore Security (MSS), Logicalis.
Ricky Magalhaes, Head of Offshore Security (MSS), Logicalis, said: “Every organisation, in every market is under relentless, systematic attack from an increasingly sophisticated community of professional hackers. The only effective approach to security is holistic and architectural – one that is manageable, adaptable, resilient and responsive.
“We are working relentlessly with organisations to improve security standards, maintaining systems to keep cyber attackers out, and monitoring them to keep data in.”
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