Information-Security Growth Eats Into IT Budgets; User Satisfaction Lags

Compiled ByDeborah Austin Information-security (IS) spending keeps climbing, but the fastest-growing IS outlays may be cannibalizing other information-technology budgets, suggests "Information Security Overview and Investment Outlook," a report by Vista Research, New York, an independent provider of financial research. The report's findings reflect the results of a survey commissioned by Vista Research. Of 290 primary decision-makers surveyed, 48% have boosted IS budgets since September 2001, and 21% report a "significant increase" of more than 15%. Some 39% of those reporting a significant increase have funded those increases from other information-technology areas. Fifty-seven percent of all respondents plan higher IS spending in the coming year. Since September 2001, 12% of survey respondents have experienced significant security breaches. While such high-profile happenings cause brief dramatic IS activity spikes, regulatory requirements are more likely to fuel long-term revenue growth and maturity, says Vista. Reviews are mixed on currently available IS solutions: Of primary decision-makers, 27% are dissatisfied with firewall technologies, 36% with intrusion detection systems and 53% with wireless security.