Security leaders turn to external data to strengthen investment cases

Market intelligence firm IDC recently launched IDC Quanta, a tool designed to help security leaders strengthen investment cases with external research and peer benchmarks when seeking approval from company boards. IDC said the tool addresses a growing challenge for security executives who have extensive internal data but may lack independent evidence to support spending requests. A board member asking whether companies of a similar size are making comparable investments can leave executives without a clear answer, potentially weakening the case for additional spending. IDC Quanta allows users to combine their own documents, procurement history and risk information with IDC’s research and analyst assessments to obtain sourced answers tailored to their circumstances. The tool can, for example, be used by a company preparing a business case for zero-trust security investment and seeking comparisons with organisations of a similar size and sector, as well as an analyst assessment of the risks of delaying investment. IDC said Quanta identifies the relevant analyst rather than relying on an unnamed industry report, while also providing peer benchmarks. IDC research cited through the tool found that the proportion of organisations paying a ransom to regain access to their systems rose from 29.6 per cent in 2024 to almost 50 per cent in 2025. The average ransom payment was $166,000, while downtime for a large business cost an additional $357,000 per hour, according to IDC’s Future Enterprise Resiliency & Spending Survey, Wave 5, 2025. IDC said the figures provided security leaders with independent evidence that could help boards assess the potential financial consequences of delaying cybersecurity investment. The company said the aim was to provide executives with a second, independent source of evidence, alongside their own judgement and internal data, when presenting investment proposals to decision-makers.