Data collected in the 2017-18 Business Characteristics Survey (BCS) has been published. The BCS looked at information technology (IT), business innovation, collaborative arrangements, business competition and finance, with a particular focus on the business use of IT.
The use of paid cloud computing services is one way to look at the emerging usage of digital technologies within business. The use of paid cloud computing has continued to grow, with 42% of businesses now reporting the use of cloud computing compared to 31% in 2015-16. 17% of businesses cited insufficient knowledge of paid cloud computing services being the greatest factor limiting or preventing usage in 2017-18.
Indicators of cybersecurity, internet security incidents and breaches, measure the trust businesses have for the online environment and their capabilities to protect themselves against digital security risks. In 2017-18, 54% of businesses indicated cybersecurity was of some importance to their digital technologies, up 6% since 2015-16. Also in 2017-18, 11% of businesses reported internet security incidents or breaches. Downtime of service was the most common impact of the breach or incident on businesses that reported, at 52%.
