A new study from Intel Corp. released today finds that organizations value security product innovation, especially at the hardware level, when purchasing technologies and services.

Some 64% of respondents say their organizations are more likely to purchase technologies and services from technology providers that are leading edge with respect to innovation, according to the study. It’s based on a survey of 1,406 individuals in the U.S., Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Latin America who influence their organization’s information technology decision-making regarding investment in security technologies.

The top areas of focus for security innovation within organizations were security automation at 41% of respondents, security at the silicon level at 40%, cloud migration at 40% as well, and education and training at 38% of respondents.

Reflecting changing times and a shift to remote working, 53% percent of respondents say their organizations refreshed their security strategy because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Of the 36% of organizations using hardware-assisted security solutions, 85% say hardware- or firmware-based security is a high or very high priority in their organization. More than two-thirds also say it is important for a vendor to offer both hardware- and software-assisted security capabilities.

Intel says businesses are expected to spend $172 billion in 2022 on increasing their cybersecurity commitments and enhancing measures to protect themselves. Organizations recognize hardware-assisted security capabilities are critical to a robust security strategy, with many searching out transparent technology providers to supply innovative security solutions.

“The security threat landscape continues to evolve, becoming more sophisticated and challenging for organizations to defend against,” Suzy Greenberg, vice president of Intel Product Assurance and Security, said in a statement. “Today more than ever, companies are demanding assurance capabilities and hardware-enhanced security solutions that help protect the entire compute stack.”

The study also touches on the rise of zero trust security and transparency trends. Of the 36% of organizations using hardware-assisted security solutions, 32% of respondents have implemented zero-trust infrastructure strategy and 75% of respondents expressed increased interest in zero-trust models as the pandemic continues and the remote workforce grows.

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