Global content security and data theft protection company, Websense, claims IT managers feel that getting a divorce or losing their job is less stressful than looking after company data.
In new Websense research on security pros and cons, 1000 IT managers and 1000 non-IT employees in the US, UK, Canada, and Australia were independently surveyed about the latest threats to corporate and personal security – including modern malware and advanced persistent threats (APTs).
The research revealed serious data breaches had occurred compromising CEO and other executives’ data, confidential customer data and data necessary for regulatory compliance.
Key findings include:
- 86 per cent of respondents said their job would be at risk if a security incident were to occur
- 24 per cent reported that the confidential data of CEOs or other executives had been breached; 34 per cent reported losing data needed for compliance; 34 per cent stated that confidential information has been posted on a social networking site; and 37 per cent said data has been lost by employees
- 20 per cent of respondents stated that data affected by regulatory compliance was compromised; 20 per cent had seen confidential information posted on social networking sites; and 34 per cent of employees who accidentally compromised data wouldn’t tell their boss
- 72 per cent said protecting company data is more stressful than getting a divorce, managing personal debt, or being in a minor car accident; 14 per cent said losing their job would be less stressful than staying in their current role.
However, the survey also showed that businesses have started - or are accelerating - data loss prevention projects.
Ninety-one per cent of IT security managers have reported that new levels of management have engaged in data security conversations in the last year including the head of IT (43 per cent), managing director (38 per cent), and CEO (33 per cent); this showed that until recently, the head of IT was often not involved.
The findings also showed more than 60 per cent of IT managers conceded that recent well-publicised security incidents have affected planning, with more than 40 per cent having increased spending, focused attention internally on testing and overhauling existing policies, implementing new solutions and imposing new restrictions on users.
“Advanced threats are using attack elements and methods that AV was not designed to address and are written and tested specifically to bypass AV. Companies need to recalculate their assumptions about how well their data is protected,” Websense senior director of product marketing, Tom Clare, said.
NOTE: This is vendor sponsored research and should be considered with this in mind
