Network engineers and CIOs increasingly see cybersecurity as a core part of any digital transformation effort, not an add‑on. In research commissioned by Opengear across the U.S., U.K., France, Germany, and Australia: - **53% of network engineers** and **52% of CIOs** rank cybersecurity among their biggest risks. - **61% of CIOs** report an increase in cybersecurity attacks and breaches from 2020–21 compared to the previous two years. As organizations digitize operations, move to the cloud, and support remote work, their attack surface grows. If security is not built into the network and transformation roadmap from the start, the organization can end up with: - More frequent and more complex cyber incidents - Higher operational and financial risk - Slower adoption of new digital services due to security concerns This is why forward‑looking businesses are reimagining digital transformation as a security‑first initiative, where cybersecurity is woven into network design, investment decisions, and long‑term planning rather than treated as a separate track.

Both network engineers and CIOs are aligned that cybersecurity is a primary concern when modernizing networks and systems. From the Opengear‑commissioned research: - **70% of network engineers** say **security is the most important focus area** for digital transformation of networking. - **31% of network engineers** say **network security is their biggest networking priority**. - **53% of network engineers** and **52% of CIOs** list cybersecurity among their biggest overall risks. Their concerns are driven by an **escalating number of cyberattacks**, especially during and after the pandemic, when remote work expanded and cyber‑criminal activity increased. This shift has made it clear that: - Networks must be designed with security controls embedded, not bolted on. - Remote access, cloud connectivity, and distributed sites need consistent protection. - Incident response and resilience have to be part of everyday network operations. In short, engineers and CIOs are rethinking network architectures so that security is a built‑in design principle rather than a downstream fix.

CIOs are treating cybersecurity as a central investment theme for both the near and mid‑term future. According to the research: - **41% of CIOs** rank cybersecurity among their organization’s **most important investment priorities over the next year**. - **35% of CIOs** say cybersecurity is among their **biggest investment priorities over the next five years**. - In both timeframes, cybersecurity ranks **higher than any other factor** in the survey. - **51% of network engineers** say their CIOs have consulted them on investments to deliver digital transformation plans, indicating closer collaboration between IT leadership and network teams. Practically, this means organizations are: - Allocating more budget to secure network infrastructure and remote access - Integrating security into network design and management tools - Treating cybersecurity as a foundational element of digital initiatives, not a separate workstream As Gary Marks, President of Opengear, notes, businesses are recognizing the need to weave security more closely into the fabric of their networks and digital transformation efforts, especially as remote work and evolving threats continue to reshape how networks are built and operated.