A STUDY ON CYBERSECURITY CHALLENGES AND THREATS IN THE DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION

Abstract

Digital transformation— encompassing the adoption of cloud computing, Internet of Things (IoT), artificial intelligence, big data analytics, remote work infrastructures, and API-driven digital platforms—has fundamentally restructured the technological landscape of contemporary organisations while simultaneously expanding the attack surface available to malicious actors. As organisations accelerate the integration of digital technologies into core business processes, the frequency, sophistication, and financial impact of cybersecurity threats have grown commensurately, making cybersecurity risk management a strategic imperative rather than a purely technical function. This study examines the nature, scope, and organisational impact of cybersecurity challenges and threats arising from digital transformation, drawing on primary survey data collected from 100 IT professionals and business analysts across technology-enabled organisations and secondary data from global cybersecurity reports including IBM Cost of a Data Breach Report 2023, Verizon DBIR 2023, and CERT-In Annual Report 2022–23. The research employs descriptive analysis, threat taxonomy framework development, and perception-based survey analysis to document the threat landscape, identify sector-wise vulnerability profiles, assess organisational cybersecurity readiness, and evaluate the effectiveness of mitigation frameworks including NIST CSF 2.0, Zero Trust Architecture, and AI-driven Security Operations Centres. Findings reveal that 86% of respondents agree that digital transformation increases cybersecurity risk, ransomware and supply chain attacks are the most economically impactful threat categories, and only 54% of surveyed organisations have implemented a Zero Trust policy—underscoringa significant cybersecurity readiness gap relative to the pace of digital adoption.