Every CIO and IT decision maker should be knowledgeable about cloud technologies that can provide flexible and scalable resources , reduce IT costs , enable remote collaboration , and improve data accessibility and security . But they also need to be aware of their responsibility in maintaining control , visibility , and protection of data that sits across their heterogenous IT environments , including the cloud . In addition , it is essential to use data analytics to make informed business decisions . CIOs need to be able to collect , store and analyse data to identify trends and patterns that can help their organisations improve performance .

AI is another area that CIOs need to master . With cybersecurity threats increasing in frequency and sophistication , heightening resiliency against attacks with AI-driven threat detection and encryption solutions is paramount . CIOs must also maintain control over how publicly available generative AI platforms are used in the workplace , as well as embracing AI and ML technologies that can improve agility and innovation while reducing pressure on IT teams .

Looking ahead , emerging trends like edge computing , quantum computing , and continued advances in AI technologies should also be on their radar for future preparedness . CIOs grapple with pain points like urgent digital transformation , cybersecurity complexities , talent shortages , data governance , and budget constraints . Balancing innovation pressure with managing cyber threats and regulatory compliance amid evolving business needs is a major challenge for CIOs . One such scenario occurred during the pandemic when organisations rushed to migrate their data to the cloud in order to enable remote workforces to maintain productivity , only to later encounter problems around cost , security , and compliance that they needed to address retroactively .

Veritas research revealed that in order to plug the security gaps created by hurriedly deploying new technologies , the average UAE organisation would need to spend an additional $ 2.52million and hire 34 new members of IT staff . As the threat of cyber-attacks continues to grow in frequency and sophistication , ransomware attacks have become a matter of when rather than if , and so knowing when becomes absolutely critical . CIOs are dealing with ensuring the right level of investment is made into the most effective defence strategies .

CIOs are dealing with ensuring the right level of investment is made into the most effective defence strategies .

In a world where most CIOs are dealing with technology sprawl , and increased pressure due to rising prices and inflation , IT budgets will continue to be a hot topic . Adopting a cloud-first approach , and linking IT investments to business outcomes will help CIOs counter this challenge .

that is inherently hard to pull off , and only complicated further by the perennial shortage of skilled IT talent . p

And while budgets shrink or remain stagnant , CIOs will have to protect their organisations ’ digital assets from increasingly sophisticated and AI-powered cyber-attacks . It is a balancing act

CHRIS DAY , CIO SOLARWINDS

www . intelligentcio . com INTELLIGENTCIO MIDDLE EAST 35

Intelligent CIO Middle East Issue 97 | Page 35

CIOs are dealing with ensuring the right level of investment is made into the most effective defence strategies .

CIOs are dealing with ensuring the right level of investment is made into the most effective defence strategies .

In a world where most CIOs are dealing with technology sprawl , and increased pressure due to rising prices and inflation , IT budgets will continue to be a hot topic . Adopting a cloud-first approach , and linking IT investments to business outcomes will help CIOs counter this challenge .