The findings from the “OTRS Spotlight: Corporate Security 2024” survey* reveal a significant shift in how organizations approach IT and cybersecurity. IT security is slowly but surely reaching a strategic level. Companies re cognize the growing threat landscape. They are re-evaluating their strategies, adapting their internal structures, assessing priorities, and considering investments to better address threats and to enhance their cybersecurity measures.
In 2025, IT security is no longer just a technical concern. It’s a critical element of business resilience and leadership responsibility. Below are the most relevant insights from the survey results – and what they mean for your organization.
Cybersecurity Is Becoming a Leadership Priority
The survey results show that IT security has gained more visibility at the highest levels of organizations. The share of respondents who are satisfied with the funding that IT and cybersecurity receive at their organization has increased by 20% compared to 2023. This is an important signal that companies are beginning to treat security as a strategic priority rather than just an operational task. This shift is significant. Involving leadership brings several advantages:- faster decision-making,
- better budget allocation, and closer
- alignment between security measures and business goals.
Real-World Security Incidents Are Driving Action
Concrete events often trigger concrete action – and the CrowdStrike case is a prime example. According to the survey, 93% of organizations took additional precautions to strengthen their IT security in response to this event. Notably, this includes organizations that were directly affected by the incident and those that were not. This high level of responsiveness illustrates how external events can act as accelerators for internal change. It reflects a growing awareness that threat scenarios affecting other companies can serve as valuable early warning signals. The most common measures companies implemented include:- Diversifying the IT and software landscape to reduce dependency on single providers
- Implementing advanced real-time monitoring and alerting systems
- Introducing additional testing for new patches and updates
- Reviewing or updating existing incident response plans
These actions show that companies are learning from real-world incidents and adjusting their security posture accordingly. Instead of simply implementing reactive fixes, they are becoming more proactive in how they prepare for and respond to future security incidents. Rather than waiting for an incident to occur within their own environment, security teams are increasingly learning from industry-wide events and making forward-looking changes.
At the same time, the response to this high-profile incident highlights a continued shift in mindset: IT and cybersecurity are no longer isolated technical disciplines. They are central to risk management and business continuity. Being prepared to respond quickly is just as important as prevention.
Organizations that can react swiftly to breaches minimize damage and downtime – a capability that increasingly defines resilience in the digital age.
Resource Gaps Are Slowing Down Progress
Despite the increased focus on IT and cybersecurity, many organizations remain under-resourced in key areas. For most of those who are not satisfied with their organization’s IT and cybersecurity funding, the top issues are insufficient investments in software and security awareness training (27% each). Nearly as many (26%) cite a need for more investment in infrastructure, while 21% see a need for more staff. Just under half of respondents consider their organization to be optimally prepared for security incidents. Also, 82% confirm that they have seen an increase in security incidents over the past twelve months. Knowing this, organizations are well advised to heed the call for greater investment from their IT and cybersecurity teams. This rapidly evolving threat landscape is also cited by just over a third of security teams as the top challenge they face in incident response
Device Management Is a Major IT Security Concern
Remote work and a growing number of IT devices have added another layer of complexity. These require broader and more flexible security measures that many organizations are still struggling to implement. The main pain points for security teams in enforcing security policies across devices are:- A lack of IT staff and resources (39%)
- Scalability issues due to the growing number of devices and the diversity of devices and operating systems (33% each)
- Managing devices in remote or hybrid work environments (32%)
Software Tools Reduce the Workload of IT Security Teams
Organizations need to address:- the increasing number of cyber threats
- the additional attack surface created by the increasing number of devices and
- AI-enabled devices
1. Mobile Device Management (MDM)
Mobile device management(MDM) or unified endpoint management (UEM) tools can help IT security teams:- track and manage devices,
- ensure the timely rollout of updates and patches, and
- disable or restrict AI capabilities.
2. Vulnerability management
Vulnerability management is an essential part of IT security and risk management. At 38% each, respondents report that vulnerabilities or corrupted files in corporate systems and devices as well as vulnerabilities, data breaches, or misuse of AI tools or services have caused extreme or significant damage or risk to their organization in the past. Vulnerability management tools help IT security teams prevent this. Just above two thirds are already using such tools, a 12% increase compared to 2023. Another 23% are planning to introduce it. When choosing a solution for vulnerability management, security teams need to make sure that it enables them to scan for, detect, track and respond to vulnerabilities in the organization’s entire IT supply chain. It should also automate and orchestrate critical tasks. With staff stretched thin and the number of incidents and vulnerabilities on the rise, being able to act fast and effectively is crucial. Therefore, the software solution also needs to integrate well with other tools in the teams’ stacks to empower seamless workflows and communication.3. Security Orchestration, Automation and Response (SOAR)
Effective incident response is crucial in mitigating the impact of cyber threats. IT security teams need to be able to rapidly identify, assess, prioritize and resolve security incidents to minimize downtime. A robust and comprehensive security orchestration, automation and response (SOAR) software solution enables just that. It provides seamless integration with existing security tools for a unified defense strategy and facilitates clear organized communication. Both are essential for rapid response as well as for meeting compliance and regulatory requirements. Teams that already use SOAR software say its biggest benefits are that it- makes it easier to work with IT,
- increases the automation of their incident response processes, and
- improves incident tracking and reporting.
Keeping Your IT Security Tool Stack Under Control
The number of tools that IT security teams have in their stack has increased since last year. According to their plans, it will increase only further. On the one hand, this is a positive development because these tools enable them to better protect their organization from cyber threats. On the other hand, managing and maintaining multiple security tools brings new challenges.
Tool complexity (46%) and integration difficulties (45%) are the main difficulties that IT security teams encounter in doing so. Software solution providers appear to be aware of these challenges. Even though integration difficulties persist, slightly more than three quarters are either satisfied or very satisfied with the integration and interoperability of their current security tools. New tools also often require additional training to leverage them, which is another major challenge for more than a third.
When it comes to selecting new software solutions for their IT and cybersecurity organizations, these challenges are only partially reflected in the most important criteria that security teams look for.
While integration capabilities rank in the top five criteria at 38%, post-sale support and training rank a distant ninth at 26%. Teams are also looking for compliance and security features as well as integrated AI functionalities – an indication that trends such as artificial intelligence and regulations such as NIS-2 or DORA substantially influence IT and cybersecurity teams’ agenda and way of working. Timely security updates and patches as well as functionality follow in second place.
To keep their IT security stack under control , security teams need to carefully evaluate what is really important to them, both in the short and long term. For example: If a software solution offers all the latest AI functionalities but is difficult to integrate, it may be wise to reassess whether these features are must-haves or nice-to-haves.How much value do they actually add?
In the long run, better integration capabilities or ongoing support and training may outweigh the benefits of potentially immature AI capabilities that only marginally help the team work more effectively and efficiently.
Key Takeaways: Top IT Security Trends 2025
The results of the survey outline a clear picture of what’s ahead. IT and cybersecurity are undergoing a fundamental transformation from back-office functions to boardroom priorities. In today’s dynamic cybersecurity landscape shaped by shifting priorities, external pressures, and internal challenges, the top five trends organizations should act on in 2025 and beyond can be summarized as follows:1. Make incident preparedness a top priority
Real-world events like the CrowdStrike incident show that fast, well-coordinated responses matter. Keep incident response plans updated and tested.Ensure they’re integrated into your broader security strategy.2. Secure leadership commitment and strategic funding
As cybersecurity becomes a board-level issue, IT and cybersecurity leaders must engage decision-makers with clear risk and ROI narratives to secure long-term investment.3. Close critical resource and skills gaps
Budget alone isn’t enough. Address staffing shortages and invest in ongoing training to maintain operational readiness amid rising incident volumes.4. Treat AI and device management as core risk areas
The rapid spread of AI-enabled and mobile devices is expanding the attack surface. Implement scalable controls, usage policies, and focused employee training to stay ahead.5. Streamline and integrate your security tool stack
More tools don’t always mean better protection. Prioritize solutions that reduce complexity, integrate easily, and support automation to relieve pressure on your teams. Organizations that understand and act on these trends will be better positioned to navigate the evolving threat landscape. Now is the time to connect leadership, invest in the right capabilities, and treat security as a core business function – not just a technical one.Be Ready When It Counts: Strengthen Your Incident Response Capabilities
As the complexity and frequency of cyber threats continue to rise, organizations must ensure that their security teams are equipped with the right tools — not just to detect issues, but to act quickly and effectively when incidents occur. A robust incident response solution is a critical component of any modern IT security strategy. Implementing comprehensive incident response software can help:- Facilitate structured, traceable communication across teams and stakeholders
- Integrate seamlessly with your existing security software stack
- Ensure fast and efficient response to limit damage and downtime
*About the Survey “OTRS Spotlight: Corporate Security 2024”
The data used is based on an online survey conducted by Pollfish Inc. on behalf of OTRS AG, in which 476 IT and cyber security professionals in the U.S., Germany, Brazil, Mexico, Australia and Malaysia participated between August 22 and September 17, 2024.
More results can be found in the infographics available for download here:
Jens Bothe
Jens Bothe is the Director Global Consulting for OTRS AG and is responsible for advising our customers. With his team, he ensures that customers in any industry can use OTRS optimally.
