Skills are the biggest barrier to digital transformation in the Channel Islands, according to IT executives. So says the Logicalis Global CIO Survey 2017-2018, which questioned nearly 1,000 Chief Information Officers and IT Directors around the world about issues surrounding digital transformation.
In the Channel Islands, 62 per cent of CIOs cited skills as a main barrier to digital transformation in their organisation, nearly double the global average of 34 per cent and the UK average of 29 per cent.
Organisational culture, cost, and complex legacy infrastructures were also key issues, but just 23 per cent of Channel Island CIOs cited security as a main barrier, compared with a global average of 34 per cent.
When it comes to using cloud-based services, security is a much bigger concern – 65 per cent of Channel Island CIOs cite security as a challenge to increased use of cloud services, less than the global average of 70 per cent, and the European average (UK, Ireland, Germany and Spain) of 80 per cent.
Security concerns
The Logicalis survey also found Channel Island CIOs have slightly different worries to global counterparts regarding IT security threats. Some 88 per cent think ransomware and corporate extortion pose a significant risk to businesses over the next 12 months - higher than the European average of 80 per cent and the global average of 72 per cent.
Identity and credential hacking is also a prime security concern for Channel Island CIOs, with 73 per cent believing they will pose a significant threat to business over the next 12 months, compared with a global average of 43 per cent and a European average of 50 per cent.
IT executives in the Channel Islands may also have a greater awareness of other security issues – 50 per cent of CIOs identified ghostware concealed attacks that evade forensics as a concern, compared with just 27 per cent of CIOs globally and 41 per cent in Europe.
Despite this, security concerns or considerations have only prevented or stopped 19 per cent of new IT projects going ahead, compared with a European average of 29 per cent, a global average of 33 per cent and in the UK where they put the brakes on 36 per cent of projects.
Into its fifth year, the Logicalis Global CIO Survey offers an insight into information security trends as viewed by senior IT executives. The figures have been drawn from a survey of 890 CIOs and IT Directors from mid-market organisations in 23 companies spanning Europe, North America, South America and Asia-Pacific. For the global survey results and downloadable infographic click here