Overall, the report envisions an ever-increasing role for tech, including at companies that have not before been digitally savvy. “The current economic climate has only increased the urgency for every enterprise, not just digital experts, to embrace technology as a strategic asset,” Sharyn Leaver, SVP of research at Forrester, said in a press release.

According to Forrester, 30% of businesses will boost spending on cloud security and risk, networks and mobility. Although the report doesn’t state how that compares to prior years, chief information officers interviewed by Forester indicated that “they are collaborating more across organizations, objectives, and budgets, extending IT-business partnerships into enterprise-level shared accountability.” One goal is for security to be less of a distraction.

With remote work persisting, data breaches related to employees will remain a concern, Forrester says. According to the report, insider incidents will cause 33% of data breaches next year, compared with 25% now. “Considerations for employees’ privacy, company culture, and local standards for lawful, fair, and acceptable labor practices are key to the success of your insider threat program,” the firm suggests.

Legal risk related to employee data is also expected to rise. Specifically, Forrester projects that legal and regulatory activity involving employees’ personal information will “double” next year, taking into account existing European regulatory efforts as well as impending U.S. court battles to define workplace privacy standards. “Companies must take a ‘privacy by design’ approach when handling employee personal data,” Forrester advises. “Doing this entails identifying and following all relevant requirements, including and beyond privacy; assessing specific privacy and ethical risks; and communicating transparently with employees.”

Also in 2021, Forrester forecasts that remote work will climb to triple its levels prior to the coronavirus pandemic. Most companies are expected to enter a “hybrid” model, with fewer on-location staff and more full-time employees working remotely.