WatchGuard: local organisations under greater pressure to protect against data loss

Network security vendor, WatchGuard Technologies, has announced that 88 per cent of local public and private sector organisations are under more pressure this year in protecting against data loss than they were in 2010.

The survey of 110 security professionals, conducted during the AusCERT conference, showed 52 per cent of IT security managers mentioned compliance with regulation and legislation as key drivers for security investment in the next 12 months and one in five feel incapable of catching data hackers.

WatchGuard Technologies regional director A/NZ, Scott Robertson, said, “Sensitive information enters and exits company networks every day, and getting caught losing that confidential information is expensive, disruptive, and damaging to carefully nurtured corporate images.”

The survey also found that respondents listed a lack of budget, complication of the protection process and disbelief of being affected as reasons for not taking proactive action against data loss.

More than half of those accountable for IT security in their companies were reported to be bothered by the reduced budget, while 42 per cent said it should rank higher on their organisation’s overall business agenda. In addition, only 18 per cent of companies think preventing unauthorised employee access to file and data will direct security investment in the coming year.

Results proved a lesser percentage of companies invest in security to aid business continuity as compared to investing in supplying employees with safe access to social networking sites or providing security solutions for a growing mobile workforce.

“The survey appears to suggest that whether data loss is accidental or malicious, IT teams need to gain insight into the magnitude of a potential data loss problem, identify security gaps, and develop a proactive approach to stop data loss before it happens,” Robertson said.

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