15 IT Issues CIOs Are Facing in 2024

In 2024, Chief Information Officers, ITSM (IT Service Management) leaders, and cybersecurity chiefs are facing a range of challenges unlike any other year.

From the advances in Artificial Intelligence (AI) to outdated hardware, poor strategic planning, cloud confusion, and new cyber threats, the numbers of IT issues are multiplying. In this article, we review the top 15 IT issues that many CIOs and IT leaders are saying they are struggling with, and what can be done to resolve these issues.

Let's dive into some of the most relevant, recurring, and new IT issues for 2024 . . .

Top 15 IT Issues in 2024

1. Not Enough Backup for Business Continuity and Cybersecurity Threats

   IT downtime is expensive. On average it can cost mid-size and larger organizations $1.55 million annually, and a cyberattack can cost businesses an average of $200,000. In some cases, that's more than enough to force the closure of a small or medium-sized business.

   One of the best ways to guard against this is with secure automated backup systems. In the event of an IT disaster, they are designed to ensure business continuity. Do you have data backup and business continuity plans in place and ready to deploy at a moment's notice?

   If not, then now is the time to get organized in case anything happens that could cost your organization serious money and expensive downtime.

2. Struggles with Hardware Failures

   Hardware doesn't last forever. Sooner or later, IT hardware reaches the end of the lifecycle of a product and needs replacing. Many CIOs have been pouring money into software subscriptions (SaaS), which means hardware has taken a back seat for IT leaders.

   And yet, once hardware starts to fail it's time to think about replacing it. This could mean your computers and employee laptops are outdated, or on-site servers need replacing. Have you budgeted for new IT capital expenditures?

   Resolving this means looking at where the smartest investments can be made and making a business case for new hardware budgets. A business can only run so long on short-term repairs and spare parts.

3. Increased Risk of Data Loss

   Losing data is an IT issue that every CIO and ITSM leader worries about. Whether it's customer data or important company documents and databases, the world runs on data and it needs to be secure and accessible at all times.

   Having an efficient data backup and storage policy processes and systems is the best way to reduce worries about losing valuable data.

4. Computer Performance Not Keeping Up with AI Advances

   AI is getting smarter, faster, and increasingly integrated with IT systems, software, and hardware. Can your in-house systems and computers keep up?

   Although most AI software (such as ChatGPT-4, BERT, and others) is cloud-based, you still need on-site servers and computers running fast enough to keep up with AI advances. Once AI-based systems require hyper-fast supercomputers to operate, then organizations everywhere will need serious hardware updates.

5. Access Control Being a Serious Cybersecurity Problem

   One of the biggest issues when it comes to access control is employees using their own devices for work-related apps, storage, and software. Another is high employee turnover and working with freelancers and contractors.

   Everyone with access to internal systems, email accounts, and cloud storage is a potential cybersecurity threat. Access control is designed to reduce these risks. And yet, not enough organizations have sufficient control over this area. This can result in data theft, data leaks, and cybersecurity breaches.

   Use 2024 to get access control under control, or risk $200,000 in costs from unexpected data breaches, regulatory fines, and a loss of customer confidence.

6. Email Problems Still Being a Problem in 2024

   Despite Slack and numerous other work-related messaging platforms and apps, email is still the most widely used communication channel among internal and external teams.

   There are numerous things that can prevent emails from working, such as server issues, configuration/DNS errors, and cloud-based interaction faults. All of these can seriously impact productivity and internal communications.

   Make sure password reset and more common problems can be solved with self-serve tools. Also, implement stress testing to uncover things that could go wrong and put security software in place to prevent potential email issues.

7. Ineffective IT Strategy

   Have you taken a look at your IT strategy recently? Does it still align with operational and business needs, and the tech stack you use to implement it?

   If not, then 2024 is the year to update your IT strategy and ensure that everything your organization uses to run critical IT systems is up-to-date, relevant, and generating a return on investment (ROI).

8. Outdated Technology and Legacy Systems

   Outdated technology and legacy systems are an increasing hindrance in modern, lean organizations. Now is the time to assess whether legacy tech and systems are still fit for purpose. If not, what can be done to replace them before they start to seriously impact security and productivity.

9. Cloud Confusion

   So many organizations have invested huge sums in various cloud software and storage. The question is, what and how much do you actually need?

   Review what's being stored where, the apps every team is using, and whether there's overlap and unnecessary costs hidden in the system. There's a good chance there's more money being spent than your organization actually needs. Work at consolidating, reducing confusion, and simplifying your layers of cloud-based software.

10. Weak IT Security, Especially Against AI-Based Cyberthreats

    In 2024, IT leaders are fighting all of the usual cybersecurity threats, and now AI is being used to create "deepfake" videos that are deceiving companies out of millions.

    Is your IT security and employee training able to combat deepfakes and AI's?

    Would your staff react in a similar way if a video call made it seem that a large invoice hadn't been paid and a senior leader was telling them to pay it?

    That's what IT and cybersecurity leaders are up against these days. Take the time to properly understand modern threats and design cybersecurity systems and employee awareness training to safeguard against them.

11. Poor Password Management

    Poor password management is an avoidable IT issue. Set up admin systems so that employees can't use weak or the same passwords for multiple apps. Provide self-serve tools to help staff with this, and extra training, as required.

12. Software Compatibility Issues

    Too much software can cause compatibility issues. Especially when various apps and systems don't talk to one another, or when a new SaaS tool doesn't work with a vital piece of legacy software.

    Look at ways you can fix this. Whether that means ditching a legacy SaaS for a new one, or having APIs developed to ensure data flows smoothly and goes where it's needed within your organization.

13. Privacy and Data Protection Issues

    Data protection is even more complicated when so many employees are working remotely/from home. It's a great cost savings for businesses, with Global Workplace Analytics saying that savings can be anywhere between $2500 and $11,000 per year for every employee who works from home (WFH) at least 50% of the time.

    However, these savings come at a cost. Internal and customer data is being transmitted across the Internet and Wi-Fi. One of the best ways to safeguard this is to ensure that WFH staff are logging-in via a secure Virtual Private Network (VPN) before they can access any internal systems, email, Slack, and customer databases.

14. Compliance with Regulations

    At some point, every organization faces regulatory compliance challenges. Especially in sectors such as healthcare. Make sure every piece of software you use is compliant with regulators in your sector. Otherwise, you risk regulatory fines and non-compliance issues.

15.  New Technology Integration

    Before commissioning any new software or signing up for a new SaaS tool, do you know whether it will integrate with the systems you already use? It should be easy enough to check this.

    For example, does it have APIs (Application Programming Interfaces) and plugins that will ensure it integrates with other software and SaaS tools? If so, then have a free trial to make sure everything works smoothly as required.

    IT leaders and CIOs need to take advantage of exciting new change management opportunities to ensure they're not left behind in 2024.

How to Prepare for 2024's IT Issues

There are a number of ways IT leaders can overcome numerous common IT problems in 2024, including:

• Stress test your IT cybersecurity and staff training to ensure they're prepared for new cybersecurity threats, especially AI-based ones and deepfake videos.
• Review your current tech stack, apps, and cloud storage. Does your organization need everything you've budgeted for? There's a good chance you can consolidate and upgrade to software that will do a more effective and efficient job.
• Review your IT strategy and backup systems/business continuity planning. If that's not fit for purpose then spend time in 2024 to future-proof your IT operations to ensure it's equipped for another decade.

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