Close
  • Latest News
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Video
  • Big Data and Analytics
  • Cloud
  • Networking
  • Cybersecurity
  • Applications
  • IT Management
  • Storage
  • Sponsored
  • Mobile
  • Small Business
  • Development
  • Database
  • Servers
  • Android
  • Apple
  • Innovation
  • Blogs
  • PC Hardware
  • Reviews
  • Search Engines
  • Virtualization
Read Down
Sign in
Close
Welcome!Log into your account
Forgot your password?
Read Down
Password recovery
Recover your password
Close
Search
Logo
Logo
  • Latest News
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Video
  • Big Data and Analytics
  • Cloud
  • Networking
  • Cybersecurity
  • Applications
  • IT Management
  • Storage
  • Sponsored
  • Mobile
  • Small Business
  • Development
  • Database
  • Servers
  • Android
  • Apple
  • Innovation
  • Blogs
  • PC Hardware
  • Reviews
  • Search Engines
  • Virtualization
More
    Home Applications
    • Applications
    • Cybersecurity
    • Database
    • Storage

    Data Security Policies Go Begging at Many Organizations: RSA Survey

    Written by

    Fahmida Y. Rashid
    Published March 8, 2011
    Share
    Facebook
    Twitter
    Linkedin

      eWEEK content and product recommendations are editorially independent. We may make money when you click on links to our partners. Learn More.

      Security-conscious organizations talk about protecting sensitive information and data security, but few of them actually follow through, according to a recent survey. They haven’t updated their information-security policies even in the post-WikiLeaks world.

      In a survey of IT executives released March 8, Ipswitch file Transfer found that while 40 percent ranked protecting sensitive information as a top IT priority in 2011, nearly 55 percent said their companies don’t enforce policies and tools for sharing and protecting sensitive information. Ipswitch conducted the survey during the RSA Conference in San Francisco in February.

      Approximately 77 percent of IT executives attached classified information and files, including payroll, customer data and financial information, to e-mail messages at least once a month, and nearly 60 percent did so weekly, Ipswitch found in the survey.

      There are two security implications to this, Hugh Garber, product marketing manager at Ipswitch, told eWEEK. Even if the employee is trying to be productive by working from home, if the transfer mechanism is not secure, there is a chance that information can be compromised, he said.

      “It might not be a malicious act, but the act is inherently risky,” he said

      However, approximately a quarter of surveyed employees, or about 26 percent, admitted to sending around files they shouldn’t be sharing and using their personal e-mail addresses to hide the fact they were doing so, Garber said.

      “Companies can’t expect to secure confidential information if they don’t have visibility into what’s being shared, by whom, with whom and how,” said L. Frank Kenney, vice-president of global strategy and product management at Ipswitch.

      About 65 percent said in the survey that they had no visibility into files and data leaving their organization. This is worrisome in light of the fact that 20 percent of the respondents felt that managing the flow of information internally and externally was critical. One-fourth said security in the cloud was important, as well. Companies are talking about security, but not following through.

      The problem is pervasive, said Garber. If management doesn’t lead by example, or doesn’t provide employees with a simple and secure way of transferring files, then employees will find alternatives, he said.

      Having, but not enforcing, policies is just as bad as never having them in the first place, Garber said.

      Increased reliance on external drives in the workplace is partly to blame for the current state of data insecurity. More than 80 percent of the respondents used USB drives, smartphones and tablets to move and back up confidential documents, the survey found. More than half (57 percent) saved confidential files to external devices at least once a week, an 11 percent increase over 2010, Ipswitch said. These devices can easily be lost or stolen.

      Case in point: A few months ago a Cambridgeshire County (England) Council staff member was saving case notes and meeting minutes onto an unencrypted USB drive even though the council had issued encrypted memory sticks for this purpose. The employee had trouble using the encrypted device, according to the BBC. The unauthorized drive, which contained private and sensitive information on six adults, was lost.

      If top-level executives don’t enforce the policies, employees will rely on other tools, Garber said. While creating policies is a start, enforcement is just as essential, he said.

      More than 40 percent of surveyed executives ignored the information-security implications of WikiLeaks while 16 percent implemented new policies and tools to protect against similar breaches, the survey found. About 29 percent of companies discussed the implications with employees, but made no changes to how they share and protect information.

      Fahmida Y. Rashid
      Fahmida Y. Rashid

      Get the Free Newsletter!

      Subscribe to Daily Tech Insider for top news, trends & analysis

      Get the Free Newsletter!

      Subscribe to Daily Tech Insider for top news, trends & analysis

      MOST POPULAR ARTICLES

      Artificial Intelligence

      9 Best AI 3D Generators You Need...

      Sam Rinko - June 25, 2024 0
      AI 3D Generators are powerful tools for many different industries. Discover the best AI 3D Generators, and learn which is best for your specific use case.
      Read more
      Cloud

      RingCentral Expands Its Collaboration Platform

      Zeus Kerravala - November 22, 2023 0
      RingCentral adds AI-enabled contact center and hybrid event products to its suite of collaboration services.
      Read more
      Artificial Intelligence

      8 Best AI Data Analytics Software &...

      Aminu Abdullahi - January 18, 2024 0
      Learn the top AI data analytics software to use. Compare AI data analytics solutions & features to make the best choice for your business.
      Read more
      Latest News

      Zeus Kerravala on Networking: Multicloud, 5G, and...

      James Maguire - December 16, 2022 0
      I spoke with Zeus Kerravala, industry analyst at ZK Research, about the rapid changes in enterprise networking, as tech advances and digital transformation prompt...
      Read more
      Video

      Datadog President Amit Agarwal on Trends in...

      James Maguire - November 11, 2022 0
      I spoke with Amit Agarwal, President of Datadog, about infrastructure observability, from current trends to key challenges to the future of this rapidly growing...
      Read more
      Logo

      eWeek has the latest technology news and analysis, buying guides, and product reviews for IT professionals and technology buyers. The site’s focus is on innovative solutions and covering in-depth technical content. eWeek stays on the cutting edge of technology news and IT trends through interviews and expert analysis. Gain insight from top innovators and thought leaders in the fields of IT, business, enterprise software, startups, and more.

      Facebook
      Linkedin
      RSS
      Twitter
      Youtube

      Advertisers

      Advertise with TechnologyAdvice on eWeek and our other IT-focused platforms.

      Advertise with Us

      Menu

      • About eWeek
      • Subscribe to our Newsletter
      • Latest News

      Our Brands

      • Privacy Policy
      • Terms
      • About
      • Contact
      • Advertise
      • Sitemap
      • California – Do Not Sell My Information

      Property of TechnologyAdvice.
      © 2024 TechnologyAdvice. All Rights Reserved

      Advertiser Disclosure: Some of the products that appear on this site are from companies from which TechnologyAdvice receives compensation. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site including, for example, the order in which they appear. TechnologyAdvice does not include all companies or all types of products available in the marketplace.

      ×