Data Leakage on the Rise, Survey Finds | eWeek

Data Leakage on the Rise, Survey Finds

Written By
Nathan Eddy
Nathan Eddy
Oct 1, 2010
2 minute read
eWeek content and product recommendations are editorially independent. We may make money when you click on links to our partners. Learn More

Confidela, the maker of WatchDox, a document control, tracking and protection solution, announced survey results based on responses from more than 500 IT professionals and C-level executives. The survey found as the need to share and collaborate increases and serious incidents of data leakage are on the rise, this indicates document security is a top issue of concern for organizations, but the actions they take to protect and share documents are mostly flawed or incomplete. WatchDox surveyed these C-level executives and IT professionals within pharmaceutical, insurance, health care, semiconductor, software and IT organizations.

According to the survey results, 65 percent of respondents shared sensitive data and more than 50 percent did so on a regular basis; 96 percent said they were concerned or extremely concerned about this data getting into the wrong hands. One in three admitted to having at least one incident when data had leaked. About one in four does not know of any leaks or is unwilling to say.

The survey found 85 percent of leaks are not from malicious intent, and 83 percent ranked document and intellectual property security as very important, ahead of antivirus and network security. However, despite clear knowledge of and concern for data leakage, only 12 percent are using a DLP (Data Loss Prevention) or DRM (Digital Rights Management) system.

Those surveyed also reported that because their organizations have yet to invest in truly secure, digital document sharing, they are hesitant to embrace otherwise highly valued cost-cutting and green initiatives. Several professionals stated that while online document distribution could easily replace resource-intensive mail shipments, such as faster, greener delivery solutions make it all too easy for document recipients to forward materials to unauthorized parties, print or duplicate them.

“This research is further confirmation that secure document management and exchange is truly a concern and priority for organizations,” said Moti Rafalin, CEO and founder of Confidela. “Our WatchDox service solves this concern by leveraging the latest technologies, such as cloud computing and SAAS, as well as new authentication techniques, delivering almost seamless protection, control and tracking for documents, wherever they go. By using WatchDox, customers are able to go green, save money and become more efficient, while knowing their documents and intellectual property are safe.”

Rafalin said WatchDox is designed to help organizations go green while simultaneously plugging security gaps with a protected document exchange solution, providing a way for businesses to share sensitive material electronically with complete control over who views, shares or prints the documents.

eWeek 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.

Property of TechnologyAdvice. © 2026 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.