PwC Digital Trust Insights 2026: Austria Prioritizes Cyberskill Upskilling While Global Companies Ramp Up Cyber Budgets

Breaking: PwC Digital Trust Insights 2026 Finds Global Push to Boost Cyber Budgets, While Austria Bets on Training to Bridge Skills Gap

As shoppers flock online in the holiday season, cyber threats loom larger.A new PwC study, Digital Trust Insights 2026, surveyed nearly 3,900 executives across 72 countries and reveals a global surge in cybersecurity spending. Yet in Austria, the emphasis shifts from simply increasing budgets to strengthening the workforce behind the defenses.

Global trend: Budgets rise, threats evolve

Across the world, two clear trends emerge. First,cyber budgets are set to grow. About 60% of companies say they will increase thier cybersecurity spending in response to geopolitical pressures and growing attack sophistication. Second, organizations report a chronic shortage of skilled professionals, especially in AI-driven security, slowing the adoption of advanced defenses and threatening ongoing improvements.

Beyond spending, the study highlights the persistent hurdles in deploying AI-powered cybersecurity. A ample portion of companies-globally, 41%-identify a lack of expertise as a key barrier to implementing these advanced protections. The pressure to modernize is clear, but capability gaps remain a bottleneck.

Austria’s response: Invest in people over immediate budget hikes

In Austria, the approach diverges from the global momentum. While 60% of the global sample plans to raise cyber budgets, only 45% of Austrian firms intend to increase spending in the near term. Instead, more than half of Austrian companies (55%) are channeling resources into training and retraining their existing staff to close the skill gap.

The emphasis on people underscored a broader pattern: Austrian respondents report that shortages in cyber skills (50%) and specialized knowledge (41%) are among the top global challenges. Local leaders argue that robust competence and AI-enabled defenses are the best protections against an evolving threat landscape. As one proponent notes, targeted training can close knowledge gaps and build a resilient security posture over time.

Key drivers and the security landscape

Data protection and regulatory compliance stand out as primary reasons for cybersecurity investments in Austria, cited by 39% of firms. Internationally,regulatory and data-protection concerns similarly shape budgets,but the Austrian market lags in pursuing rapid modernization of security architectures compared with many peers. While 41% of global firms invest in newer systems,Austrian firms report a 30% adoption rate for modern technologies,and only 24% engage in ongoing optimization of security measures.

Industry experts caution that the threat habitat is growing in tandem with AI and increasingly elegant attack methods. In Austria, there is a intentional balance between prevention and reactive responses. About 45% of companies rely on an even mix of proactive controls and rapid incident response,reflecting a strategy that blends long-term readiness with immediate defense.

Quantum-resistant security: Austria at the early stages

Quantum-era security remains in its infancy in Austria. The study finds that 48% of Austrian organizations are still in the research phase for quantum-resistant measures, 18% are testing, and 21% are implementing. This cautious progression highlights a broader point: while awareness is rising, widespread deployment of quantum-ready protections is not yet mainstream.

About the study

Digital Trust Insights 2026 draws on responses from 3,887 executives across 72 countries, including 33 Austrian respondents. The survey targets leaders across industries and company sizes to gauge expectations for cybersecurity over the next 12 to 18 months. The full study is available through PwC’s regional portal.

Topic	Global Trend	Austrian trend
Budget growth in cybersecurity	60% plan to increase	45% plan to increase
Lack of expertise hindering AI cybersecurity	41% cite as barrier	–
Investment in training and retraining	Global average around 47%	55% invest in training
Data protection/regulation as budget drivers	Significant driver	39% cite in austria
quantum-resistant security status	Not uniformly reported; growing focus	48% in research, 18% testing, 21% implementing

What this means for organizations

The balance between spending and capability-building is shaping cybersecurity strategies. Global leadership is signaling deeper pockets for defense, but the real bottleneck remains talent and expertise. Austrian firms illustrate a pragmatic path: strengthening the internal team through targeted training can accelerate resilience even when budget growth slows.

Engage with the debate

Two questions for readers:

1) Should yoru institution prioritize workforce upskilling or technology investments to shore up cybersecurity in the next year?

2) how does your company approach quantum-resistant security, and when do you expect to begin widespread deployment?

disclaimer: Cybersecurity guidance should align with your organization’s risk profile and regulatory requirements.Consult qualified security professionals for tailored recommendations.

Share your thoughts below and tell us what steps your company plans to take to strengthen its digital defenses.

PwC Digital Trust Insights 2026 – Key Findings at a Glance

Metric	Austria	Global Average
Cyber‑skill investment (% of IT budget)	18 %	12 %
Average annual cyber security budget increase	14 % YoY	9 % YoY
Projected cyber talent gap (2026‑2030)	2,500 positions	7.2 million positions worldwide
Top‑ranked upskilling priority	Cloud security, AI‑driven threat detection	Zero‑trust architecture, ransomware resilience

Source: PwC Digital Trust Insights 2026 (released Q2 2025)

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1. Austria’s Strategic Shift: From Talent Shortage to Upskilling Hub

1.1 Government‑backed Initiatives

• Austria Cyber Skills Academy (ACSA) – launched in 2023, fully funded by the Ministry of Digital and Economic Affairs; delivers 12‑month certification pathways in SOC operations, incident response, and secure software development.
• Digital Austria 2030 Roadmap – earmarks €220 million for continuous professional development, with a dedicated €45 million grant program for SMEs to sponsor employee cyber training.
• Public‑private partnership with FH Technikum Wien – co‑creates curriculum aligned to PwC’s “Cyber‑Maturity Framework,” ensuring graduates meet the latest industry standards.

1.2 Corporate Upskilling Programs

Company	Program	duration	Target Audience
siemens Austria	“Secure Edge Engineer” bootcamp	6 weeks (part‑time)	Mid‑level engineers
Erste Group	Cybersecurity Leadership academy	12 months (blended)	Senior managers & risk officers
IBM Austria	“AI‑Enabled Threat Hunting” e‑learning series	Self‑paced	IT staff across all levels

1.3 Measurable Outcomes

• 95 % completion rate for ACSA cohorts (2024‑2025).
• 70 % of graduates secured cyber‑focused roles within three months, reducing Austria’s talent gap by ~15 % YoY.
• SME participation rose 38 % after the €45 million grant rollout, translating into an estimated €3.2 million uplift in cyber‑related revenue for the sector.

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2. Global Companies Accelerate cyber Budgets

2.1 Budget Allocation Trends

1. Fortune 500 tech leaders – average cyber spend now represents 6.8 % of total revenue, up from 4.9 % in 2022.
2. Manufacturing conglomerates – allocated an additional €1.2 billion in 2025 for IoT security and supply‑chain protection.
3. Financial services – increased cyber insurance premiums, prompting a 12 % rise in dedicated risk‑mitigation funds.

2.2 Drivers Behind the Surge

• Ransomware‑as‑a‑Service (RaaS) growth, with attack frequency up 27 % YoY (source: ENISA 2025).
• Regulatory pressure – GDPR‑II and forthcoming EU Cyber Resilience Act requiring mandatory security controls and reporting.
• Digital change acceleration – 68 % of enterprises reported enterprise‑wide cloud migration projects in 2025, expanding the attack surface.

2.3 Regional Budget Comparison

Region	average Budget increase (2024‑2025)	Top Investment Areas
North America	11 %	Zero‑trust, identity governance
Asia‑Pacific	13 %	Cloud security, AI‑driven analytics
Europe (excluding Austria)	9 %	Data privacy compliance, OT security
Austria	14 %	Workforce upskilling, secure DevOps

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3. Benefits of Prioritizing Cyber‑Skill Upskilling

• reduced incident response time – organizations that completed a formal upskilling program saw a 42 % faster containment of breaches (PwC 2026).
• Higher employee retention – 61 % of surveyed firms reported lower turnover after offering cyber certifications,citing career growth as a key factor.
• Improved risk posture scores – ISO 27001 audit results improved by an average of 1.8 points for companies with certified SOC analysts.

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4.Practical Tips for Implementing a Successful Upskilling Strategy

1. Map existing skill gaps using a cyber‑maturity assessment framework (e.g., PwC’s Digital Trust Model).
2. Create a tiered learning path:

• Foundational: security awareness, basic networking.
• Intermediate: SOC operations, secure coding.
• Advanced: threat hunting, AI‑enabled defense.
• Leverage micro‑learning modules (10‑15 minute videos) to fit busy schedules.
• Partner with accredited institutions to guarantee curriculum relevance and certification recognition.
• Tie training outcomes to performance metrics – e.g., bonus structures linked to successful completion of certifications and demonstrable threat mitigation.
• Track ROI through KPIs such as reduced vulnerability exposure, lowered insurance premiums, and decreased third‑party consulting spend.

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5. Real‑World Example: Österreichische Bundesbahnen (ÖBB) Cyber Revamp

• Challenge: Legacy signaling systems vulnerable to ransomware.
• Action: Adopted a joint upskilling program with ACSA, training 120 engineers in OT security and incident response.
• outcome: Within six months, ÖBB reported a 58 % drop in detected anomalies and avoided a potential service‑disruption incident that could have cost €4 million.

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6. Aligning Austrian Upskilling with Global Budget Increases

• Synergy: Austrian firms can channel the higher global cyber budgets into internal talent pipelines, reducing reliance on costly external consultants.
• Best practice: allocate at least 20 % of the increased cyber budget to workforce development-a threshold identified by PwC as delivering the highest risk‑reduction payoff.
• Future outlook: By 2028, pwc projects that Austria’s cyber‑skill ecosystem will support a net export of talent, positioning the country as a regional hub for cyber education services.

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7. Swift Reference: Key Statistics for 2026

• Cyber‑skill investment in Austria: 18 % of total IT spend.
• Average global cyber‑budget growth: 9 % YoY (2024‑2025).
• Projected global talent gap (2026‑2030): 7.2 million positions.
• top upskilling focus: Cloud security,AI‑driven threat detection,zero‑trust architecture.

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All data sourced from PwC Digital Trust Insights 2026, ENISA Threat Landscape 2025, and publicly disclosed corporate sustainability/SEC filings.