Close
  • Latest News
  • 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
  • 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 Cybersecurity
    • Cybersecurity
    • Small Business

    Businesses Are Unprepared for a Data Breach

    By
    Nathan Eddy
    -
    July 14, 2015
    Share
    Facebook
    Twitter
    Linkedin
      it security and centrify

      Despite major breaches at iconic organizations such as Sony and the U.S. Office of Personnel Management making headlines, businesses are still woefully unprepared for a data breach, according to a survey of more than 400 IT decision-makers (ITDMs) in the United States and the United Kingdom.

      The question of who has access to data is also cause for considerable alarm, with 59 percent of U.S. ITDMs and 34 percent of U.K. ITDMs reporting sharing access credentials with other employees at least somewhat often.

      Another 52 percent of US ITDMs and 32 percent of U.K. decision-makers sharing access at least somewhat often with contractors.

      Among ITDMs who grant access to contractors, 82 percent in the United States and 68 percent in the United Kingdom say it would be at least somewhat easy for those contractors to gain access to their company’s digital assets, and 53 percent of U.S. respondents and 32 percent of U.K. respondents say it would be at least somewhat easy for a former employee to still log in and access data.

      “I think there are two reasons businesses are still lax when it comes to date access. The first is that with the consumerization of IT and the growth of cloud and mobile, most businesses really do not have a solid handle on what IT assets they have any more,” Tom Kemp, CEO of Centrify, told eWEEK. “This is commonly referred to as shadow IT. So, the IT organization can’t provide the same level of security policies to apps they don’t know are deployed nor can they apply policies to personally owned devices that are being used to access work-related data and apps.”

      Kemp noted, moreover, that as more IT assets move outside the corporate perimeter, the problem of controlling data access becomes harder, so organizations need to get their arms around shadow IT sooner instead of later.

      In addition, half of all IT decision-makers say it can take up to a week or more to remove access to sensitive systems.

      The survey also found that 55 percent of U.S. ITDMs and 45 percent of their U.K. counterparts say their organizations have suffered a security breach in the past, which have cost the companies involved millions of dollars in damages.

      Three quarters of U.S. decision-makers and more than half of U.K. ITDMs agree that their organizations need to do a better job of monitoring who has access to their data.

      “Unfortunately, I think data breaches are only going to get worse. The increasing sophistication of hackers and the constant bombardment will find weak links,” Kemp said. “At the heart of almost all these breaches are compromised credentials, so until we finally ditch the password for something more secure, these problems will continue to fester.”

      Nathan Eddy
      A graduate of Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism, Nathan was perviously the editor of gaming industry newsletter FierceGameBiz and has written for various consumer and tech publications including Popular Mechanics, Popular Science, CRN, and The Times of London. Currently based in Berlin, he released his first documentary film, The Absent Column, in 2013.

      MOST POPULAR ARTICLES

      Cybersecurity

      Visa’s Michael Jabbara on Cybersecurity and Digital...

      James Maguire - May 17, 2022 0
      I spoke with Michael Jabbara, VP and Global Head of Fraud Services at Visa, about the cybersecurity technology used to ensure the safe transfer...
      Read more
      Cloud

      Yotascale CEO Asim Razzaq on Controlling Multicloud...

      James Maguire - May 5, 2022 0
      Asim Razzaq, CEO of Yotascale, provides guidance on understanding—and containing—the complex cost structure of multicloud computing. Among the topics we covered:  As you survey the...
      Read more
      Big Data and Analytics

      GoodData CEO Roman Stanek on Business Intelligence...

      James Maguire - May 4, 2022 0
      I spoke with Roman Stanek, CEO of GoodData, about business intelligence, data as a service, and the frustration that many executives have with data...
      Read more
      IT Management

      Intuit’s Nhung Ho on AI for the...

      James Maguire - May 13, 2022 0
      I spoke with Nhung Ho, Vice President of AI at Intuit, about adoption of AI in the small and medium-sized business market, and how...
      Read more
      Android

      Samsung Galaxy XCover Pro: Durability for Tough...

      Chris Preimesberger - December 5, 2020 0
      Have you ever dropped your phone, winced and felt the pain as it hit the sidewalk? Either the screen splintered like a windshield being...
      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.
      © 2021 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.

      ×