Nine of Ten KSA CEOs Plan to Increase Investment in AI to Improve Their Organisations’ Cybersecurity Strategy
Palo Alto Networks releases research on KSA CEOs’ views on the cybersecurity risks facing businesses at Ignite 2024
February 12, 2024 — According to new research by Censuswide, commissioned by Palo Alto Networks, 94% of organisations in Saudi Arabia plan to increase investments in Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies to improve their cybersecurity strategy and posture, with 77% seeing AI as an important enabler for their organisation’s overall cybersecurity strategy.
“The escalating and increasingly complex cybersecurity challenges are prompting organisations to revise their strategies to enhance security postures and increase cyber resilience,” said Ercan Aydin, Regional Vice President at Palo Alto Networks, Middle East and Africa (MEA). “It’s encouraging that business leaders in KSA view AI as an important business enabler. Paired with cybersecurity practices such as strong policies, employee training and an integrated platform approach, the opportunities are limitless for organisations looking to uplevel their cybersecurity with AI and machine learning.”
The research found that 87%[1] of KSA respondents understand the potential cyber risks, and 91%[2] feel their organisation is cyber-ready. However, 50%[3] of respondents said they have seen an increase in cyberattacks in the past 12 months.
Almost 71% of CEOs surveyed said that cybersecurity is a board-level issue within their organisation, while 49% saw themselves, alongside the CIO, as being accountable for ensuring their organisation is protected against cyberattacks, especially when implications are impacting the business, customers and reputation.
While 69%5 said they are looking to increase investment in cybersecurity protection, 84%[4] of respondents have confirmed that their company’s CIO or CISO plans to reduce the number of security solutions deployed to reduce complexity.
Palo Alto Networks Ignite on Tour global exclusive roadshow is coming to Saudi Arabia on 12 February to bring top cybersecurity decision makers and influencers together to discuss the latest innovations, trends, insights and strategies across the industry to secure the way forward.
The research was conducted by Censuswide with 502 CEOs across Saudi Arabia and the UAE surveyed between 20-28 September 2023. Censuswide abides by and employs members of the Market Research Society, which is based on the ESOMAR principles, and who are members of The British Polling Council.
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