Nearly two out of three (63 percent) CIOs andinformation technology professionals report that there is a "major IT transformation" underway in their organizations, driven largely by broader efforts to deliver added value, enhance business performance and increase security, according to a new survey by global consulting firm Protiviti. 

The 2014 IT Priorities Survey found that the roles of CIOs and business-minded technology leaders continue to adapt to a broader scope of responsibilities, and are shifting further from supportive functions and more toward an integrated aspect of overall business strategy and operations.

"More so than in prior years, IT departments are not only altering their structures, they are transforming their fundamental mission," said Kurt Underwood, a managing director with Protiviti and global leader of the firm's IT consulting practice. "The IT function's objective is evolving from simply responding to last year's technology requests to helping shape aspects of business strategy through execution with an integrated approach to operations that adds value and protects the enterprise."

More than 1,100 respondents, including CIOs, IT vice presidents, and IT directors provided responses about the key issues and capabilities they consider priorities this year. Based on the survey findings, the top five major areas that present the most pressing challenges for IT professionals are:

1. Enhancing and protecting business value – aligning and integrating IT risk management and business continuity capabilities with broader, long-term business strategy
2. Cybersecurity – managing and strengthening security and privacy for the organizations' systems and data is now a top priority across all industries
3. Data classification – effectively organizing, managing, and securing growing amounts of data within the organization
4. IT asset and data management – improving data and information governance programs, driven by the growing use of mobile devices and applications and the continued integration of cloud computing into IT strategy and processes
5. Mobile platforms and social media – incorporating secure, integrated systems for mobile commerce, devices, etc. and addressing social media safeguards and strategy within the organization