The public sector may increase its investment in managed security services and related solutions in the near future, research has suggested.
IDC Government Insights has revealed that the complexity of virtualised threats emerging due to the rise of cloud computing is making security more important among public sector IT staff.
The research, which was carried out in the Asia-Pacific region but may reflect trends in the UK, also revealed that a number of public sector officers tend to begin investment in such solutions only after data leaks or breaches.
Janet Chiew, research manager at IDC Government Insights, said initiatives related to cost reduction, job creation and economic revival have grown in prominence since the start of the economic downturn in 2008.
She added: "IDC Government Insights sees growth in the security front as governments contend with new societal and technological trends that increasingly demand open access to information and data over exposed public networks."
Scott Crawford, managing director of security and risk management at industry analyst Enterprise Management Associates, recently suggested that attitudes towards managed security have changed significantly in recent years.