In 2025, cyber security is set to be the star of enterprise IT investments, with generative AI (GenAI) closely in tow. This insight comes from Informa TechTarget’s Enterprise Strategy Group, which surveyed 1,351 IT and business professionals globally. Their findings show that cyber security leads the charge in spending plans—the main focus for many organizations.
The survey reveals that a significant 75% of respondents from EMEA and North America plan to boost their IT budgets next year. Cyber security, customer experience, and application development are the areas likely to see the most funding increases. Over a quarter of respondents came from the EMEA region, reflecting a consistent trend toward greater investment.
Interestingly, generative AI is emerging as a competitive area for investment alongside cyber security, especially as more companies incorporate AI into their security measures. Data management also stands out, with GenAI taking the lead in funding in that area.
When looking at overall business initiatives, cyber security takes the front seat, with 49% of respondents prioritizing it, ahead of cost reduction, improved data analytics, and increased automation, all at 35% or lower. In EMEA and North America, the numbers are even more telling—44% of EMEA respondents and 51% from North America are focused on enhancing their cyber security measures. Improving resilience against cyber attacks is another shared goal, with 29% of North American respondents and 28% of EMEA respondents highlighting it as a priority.
Among key IT initiatives for 2025, enhancing cyber security tools leads the pack at 27% overall, showing clear interest across the board. This is followed by the use of AI and machine learning (16%) and leveraging data analytics for real-time insights (14%).
Diving deeper into cyber security investments, zero-trust network access (ZTNA) is at the forefront, with a hefty 48% of respondents marking it as their top cloud security investment for 2025. Following closely are cloud data security and data loss prevention at 38%, along with application programming interface (API) security at 37%. The growing reliance on APIs, as businesses shift toward microservices, has made securing these connections ever more crucial.
The rise of AI across organizations is significant, with 44% now viewing it as a top technology initiative, compared to just 28% last year. It sits right alongside cyber security and cloud initiatives in terms of importance.
Lundell and Perry from the report comment on the swift movement towards GenAI technologies, urging organizations to refocus their budgets to enhance automation and streamline operations. Looking ahead, 53% of respondents are planning to invest in GenAI for 2025, up from 46% in 2024, signifying a clear shift in investment strategy toward this technology. In the realm of information management, GenAI is clearly becoming a key player, doubling down on investments compared to past years.