Increasing complexity of the virtualised threat landscape brought about by emerging technologies such as cloud computing, and new ways of transacting information through new media and web 2.0 initiatives have bolstered the importance of public sector ICT security, according to a report by IDC.
The report said that an alarming proportion of public sector officers in Asia/Pacific excluding Japan (APEJ) region initiated investments in security products/services only upon experiencing or hearing data leaks or security breaches in their organisations or other similar sectors.
The market researcher said that X-as-a-service platforms, infrastructure and applications will further complicate ICT security considerations as the Asia/Pacific public sectors forays into new ways of accessing IT software and computing resources through the cloud.
Janet Chiew, research manager at IDC Government Insights Asia/Pacific, said: "Critical national initiatives such as cost reduction, jobs creation and economic revival have been taking centre-stage since the start of the economic sub-prime crisis in September 2008. But, the tide has changed: 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.
"To combat international cyber terrorism, Asia/Pacific public sectors need to continually address the disclosure, archival and ownership of data surrounding web 2.0 and social media, as well as increase collaborations at national and global levels."
Gerald Wang, senior market analyst at IDC Government Insights Asia/Pacific, said: "Given the global nature of IT security threats and the growing number of incidents targeting the public sector, IDC Government Insights foresees that a whole new complex IT security paradigm will emerge in the near future."
