Network engineers and CIOs agree that cybersecurity issues represent the biggest risk for organizations that fail to put networks at the heart of digital-transformation plans. According to research commissioned by Opengear, a Digi International company (NASDAQ, DGII, www.digi.com), 53% of network engineers and 52% of CIOs polled in the U.S., U.K., France, Germany, and Australia rank cybersecurity among the list of their biggest risks.

The concerns are fueled by an escalating number of cyberattacks. In fact, 61% of CIOs report an increase in cybersecurity attacks/breaches from 2020-21 compared to the preceding two years. For digital transformation of networking, 70% of network engineers say security is the most important focus area, and 31% say network security is their biggest networking priority.

CIOs also understand the importance of the issues. More than half (51%) of network engineers say their CIOs have consulted them on investments to deliver digital transformation plans, the highest priority in the survey. What’s more, 41% of CIOs rank cybersecurity among their organization’s most important investment priorities over the next year, with 35% stating it is among the biggest over the next five years. In both cases, cybersecurity ranks higher than any other factor.

“Through the pandemic, we have seen the importance of cybersecurity skyrocket for businesses as employees switch to working remotely and cyber-criminals ramp up their activity,” said Gary Marks, President of Opengear. “Forward-thinking businesses understand these challenges and the importance of investing more in security and ensuring it is woven more closely into the fabric of their networks and digital transformation efforts.”

About Opengear

Opengear, a Digi International company, delivers secure, resilient access and automation to support critical IT infrastructure, even when the network is down. Provisioning, orchestration, and remote management of network devices through innovative software and appliances enable technical staff to reliably and efficiently manage data centers and remote network locations. Opengear solutions are trusted by global organizations across financial, digital communications, retail and manufacturing industries. The company is headquartered in New Jersey, with R&D centers in Silicon Valley and Brisbane, Australia. Opengear was acquired by Digi International in 2019, bringing together two organizations with a deep commitment to providing the best products, software and services that meet the demands of mission-critical networks. For more information, please visit www.opengear.com.

About Digi International

Digi International (NASDAQ: DGII) is a leading global provider of IoT connectivity products, services, and solutions. It helps companies create next-generation connected products and deploy and manage critical communications infrastructures in demanding environments with high levels of security and reliability. Founded in 1985, Digi has helped customers connect more than 100 million things and counting. For more information, visit www.digi.com.

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