(IRVINE, Calif.) While security remains a high priority for IT organizations, spending on IT security-specific technology and services has been declining over the past three years, according to a Computer Economics study on security spending trends.
The typical IT organization spent 1.3% of its budget on security technology and services last year, down from 3% in 2005, the study found.
“We don’t think companies are actually spending less on security, but rather that IT organizations are viewing security more holistically–as a process that needs to be managed, rather than as a technology-fix issue,” said Frank Scavo, president of Computer Economics, an IT research and advisory firm.
The study also found that staffing levels on security personnel remained level over the same period, and that IT managers rated security as the second-highest spending priority last year, after developing new systems.
The full report, Security Technology Spending Declines as Share of IT Budget, examines trends in security spending and staffing from 2005-2007 based on Computer Economics’ annual survey on IT spending, staffing, and technology adoption trends.