Organizations are facing economic uncertainty as the outlook grows more unpredictable. This uncertainty — often exemplified by shrinking budgets — puts pressure on CIOs and technical leaders to find new paths forward.

Fortunately, leaders who strategize to weather the storm by proactively realigning budgets, redefining processes for efficiency, and continuing planned growth without a substantial increase in resources can still find themselves well-positioned once the uncertain times subside.

In the following sections, we will define and expand on the varying factors creating these circumstances and market conditions. From these insights, we define five steps leaders can take to find opportunities to gain efficiencies in their security practices without compromising their security posture. By aligning IT infrastructure strategy to the new economic environment, leaders can set their organizations up for success well into the future.