Is this really the year in which digital transformation will take off in business? What technology issues does the human resources function face? And if ownership is putting less pressure on the chief information security officer to fortify the infrastructure, who's stepping into the gap? Find out here!

MOST LARGE BUSINESSES NOT READY FOR TECH REQUIREMENTS IN NEW WORLD OF DIGITAL

Nearly all enterprise-level IT decision makers said their businesses are falling behind their top competitors that are accelerating their digital business goals through IT transformation, according to a survey by Enterprise Strategy Group (ESG) that was sponsored by Dell EMC. ESG found that 95 percent of the senior IT leaders and decision-making managers at large companies believe their companies are falling behind, and 71 percent believe their firms won't be competitive without transforming IT.

FINANCIAL SERVICES: WITH DIGITAL EXPLOSION COMES HIGHER COMPLIANCE COSTS

If you're working with financial services firms that are focused on digital transformation, close to 90 percent of executives in that industry expect to spend more on compliance over the next two years, according to Accenture. Nearly half -- 48 percent -- anticipate increases of 10  to 20 percent while close to one in five -- 18 percent – see jumps of more than 20 percent. And technology is at the center of the compliance risk picture. When asked to identify the top three compliance risks they believe will be the most challenging for their organizations to manage within the next 12 months, respondents most often cited fraud and financial crime risk (cited by 48 percent of respondents), business risk (47 percent) and cyber risk (45 percent).

REACH OUT AND HELP HUMAN RESOURCES?

You're probably aware of today's technology skills shortage, as well as other issues tied to hiring and managing people. And in many businesses, human resources professionals are also aware of them. But most HR organizations are behind the curve in addressing some of those issues, according to The Hackett Group. In addition, most HR executives recognize the potential of digital technology for the HR function, but few think their organizations have the strategies and resources required for successful execution in this critical area, Hackett found. But that could change this year, with technology at the center, the organization said. Talent-related change is the dominant objective for the greatest number of HR organizations in the study. Other important initiatives take aim at weaknesses in HR technology and information capabilities.

MORE INDIVIDUAL RESPONSIBILITY FOR SECURITY?

Chief information security officers are facing more pressure to tighten up infrastructures, but more of that pressure is self-inflicted and less is coming from ownership and the C-suite, according to security solutions provider Trustwave. The company's fourth annual report said 53 percent of about 1,600 security decision makers surveyed in 2016 are feeling greater pressure in trying to secure their organizations. But while 46 percent said the most pressure is coming from boards, owners and C-level executives, that's down from 59 percent in 2015. Meanwhile, 24 percent cite that the greatest pressure is coming from themselves, up from 13 percent in 2015. "This shift in pressure highlights that individuals may be starting to understand the bigger role they play in helping to enable their organization’s security posture," Chicago-based Trustwave said in a statement.