Analyst(s): Krista Case, Dion Hinchclife
Publication Date: August 22, 2025
Futurum research finds that cybersecurity has become the boardroom’s top technology priority, with 81% of CIOs ranking it highest for spending. Detection and response, along with ransomware-specific protections, drive investment, as organizations focus on measurable business outcomes such as avoided downtime, reduced breach costs, and controlled risk. Vendors that deliver integrated, AI-driven resilience platforms with proven, quantifiable results will be best positioned to win in this rapidly evolving market.
Key Points:
- Cybersecurity is the ultimate IT spend driver: 81% of CIOs ranked it a top priority in 2025.
- Detection & response tools are essential: 59% say these shape buying decisions more than anything else.
- Ransomware protection is decisive: 35% of CIOs list it as a distinct priority influencing vendor selection.
Overview:
Cybersecurity has evolved from an IT checklist item to one of the most strategic priorities discussed in the boardroom. Futurum’s latest research underscores this shift, revealing that 81% of CIOs now rank cybersecurity as their top spending priority, outpacing all other technology categories. This is not simply about protecting networks; it’s about safeguarding business continuity, brand reputation, and financial stability in an environment where threats are escalating in sophistication and frequency.
When CIOs break down their investment priorities, detection and response capabilities lead the list, with 59% citing them as a primary driver of IT buying decisions. The expectation is that security solutions do more than generate alerts—they must detect threats rapidly, identify them accurately, and respond in time to prevent escalation. Capabilities such as signature-less detection, automated response orchestration, and real-time threat analysis are increasingly in demand. Many CIOs also prioritize solutions that offer automatic remediation for low- and medium-severity incidents, allowing security teams to focus their efforts where they matter most.
Ransomware has also emerged as a standalone purchase driver, with 35% of CIOs identifying ransomware protection as a top investment area. This reflects its status as one of the most damaging and disruptive forms of attack, with operational and financial consequences. Solutions that combine behavior-based anomaly detection with immutable backups and rapid recovery capabilities are especially attractive, as they not only help prevent ransomware from executing but also ensure that organizations can restore operations quickly if an attack succeeds.
The consequences that CIOs most want to avoid are tangible and business-critical. Data breaches and ransomware remain among the most common incidents organizations face, while the impacts—data exfiltration, prolonged downtime, and lost productivity—are especially costly. These outcomes affect far more than IT operations; they impact revenue streams, regulatory compliance, and customer trust. As a result, CIOs and other executives are focusing heavily on solutions that deliver proven resilience across defense, detection, and recovery.
For vendors, this means shifting the narrative away from lists of technical features toward measurable business value. Executives want to understand how a solution can save uptime, prevent breaches, and control risk. Case studies that detail reductions in mean time-to-detection, successful prevention of data exfiltration attempts, or rapid recovery from an incident resonate more strongly than purely technical descriptions. Incorporating hard numbers—such as hours of downtime avoided—strengthens the case further, particularly with non-technical decision makers such as CFOs, compliance leads, and risk officers.
A growing preference for end-to-end resilience is also driving interest in platform-based approaches. CIOs increasingly want solutions that integrate seamlessly, orchestrate across tools, and provide comprehensive playbooks for responding to incidents. This is accelerating demand for ecosystem-compatible offerings and strategic partnerships that allow vendors to deliver breadth without sacrificing depth.
In this environment, competitive differentiation will hinge on speed, intelligence, and integration. Vendors investing in AI-driven detection pipelines, converged XDR and SOAR capabilities, and ecosystem-oriented platforms will be best positioned to meet buyer expectations. Ultimately, the solutions that succeed will deliver not just security but demonstrable, quantifiable business resilience.
The full report is available via subscription to Futurum Intelligence’s Cybersecurity and Resilience IQ service—click here for inquiry and access.
Futurum clients can read more in the Futurum Intelligence Platform, and non-clients can learn more here: Cybersecurity & Resilience Practice; Digital Leadership & CIO Practice.
About the Futurum Cybersecurity & Resilience and Digital Leadership & CIO Practices
The Futurum Cybersecurity & Resilience Practice provides actionable, objective insights for market leaders and their teams so they can respond to emerging opportunities and innovate. Public access to our coverage can be seen here. Follow news and updates from the Futurum Practice on LinkedIn and X. Visit the Futurum Newsroom for more information and insights.
The Futurum Digital Leadership & CIO Practice provides actionable, objective insights for market leaders and their teams so they can respond to emerging opportunities and innovate. Public access to our coverage can be seen here. Follow news and updates from the Futurum Practice on LinkedIn and X. Visit the Futurum Newsroom for more information and insights.
Author Information
Krista Case brings over 15 years of experience providing research and advisory services and creating thought leadership content. Her vantage point spans technology and vendor portfolio developments; customer buying behavior trends; and vendor ecosystems, go-to-market positioning, and business models. Her work has appeared in major publications including eWeek, TechTarget and The Register.
Dion Hinchcliffe is a distinguished thought leader, IT expert, and enterprise architect, celebrated for his strategic advisory with Fortune 500 and Global 2000 companies. With over 25 years of experience, Dion works with the leadership teams of top enterprises, as well as leading tech companies, in bridging the gap between business and technology, focusing on enterprise AI, IT management, cloud computing, and digital business. He is a sought-after keynote speaker, industry analyst, and author, known for his insightful and in-depth contributions to digital strategy, IT topics, and digital transformation. Dion’s influence is particularly notable in the CIO community, where he engages actively with CIO roundtables and has been ranked numerous times as one of the top global influencers of Chief Information Officers. He also serves as an executive fellow at the SDA Bocconi Center for Digital Strategies.
