Cybersecurity has become top of mind for many business leaders over the last year due to the increased threat landscape. A new report from Intel and the Ponemon Institute analyzes how organizations are approaching security innovation in an increasingly digital world to better protect themselves.

The report reveals that the top areas of focus for security innovation within organizations today are automation (41%), security at the silicon level (40%), cloud migration (40%) and education and training (38%). The pandemic’s impact on the way and how we work has been a main driver behind enterprises refreshing their security strategies — according to 53% of IT security professionals.

To achieve this level of innovation, many organizations are looking to improve hardware-assisted security solutions. Thirty-six percent of IT security professionals say their organization’s current cybersecurity protocols use hardware-assisted security solutions. Of those 36%, 47% say their organizations will adopt hardware-assisted security solutions in the next six months to 12 months.

Yet, many enterprises are already tapping into the power of hardware-enhanced security solutions to help protect their entire security stack and are looking to technology vendors to help them prioritize and adopt hardware-assisted solutions into their security strategies. Of those same 36% using hardware-assisted security solutions, 85% say hardware or firmware-based security is a high or very high priority for their organization. And 64% of IT security professionals say it’s important for vendors to offer both hardware and software-assisted security capabilities.

However, enterprises are looking for specific technology vendors to help them achieve innovation in their security stack. The report found that 64% of respondents say an organization is more likely to purchase technologies and services from providers that are leading edge with respect to innovation. This means that it’s up to vendors to continue to provide enterprises with the most innovative hardware and software security solutions to help protect against the ever-evolving threat landscape.  

For the report, Intel engaged with Ponemon Institute to conduct a survey of over 1,400 IT security professionals who are influential in IT security decision-making regarding investment in technologies in the United States, Latin America, and EMEA.

Read the full report by Intel and the Ponemon Institute.