Poll Says Data Loss Is Corporate Enemy Number One

June 1, 2010

Among all current IT threats, 37 percent of business IT security managers believe that data loss from internal threats, negligence and/or accidents (e.g., loss of devices) will be their next major security issue, says the IT Threat Prevention Straw Poll by CDW. In second place, 24 percent of respondents view evolved forms of current threats (e.g., breaches, viruses or worms) as their biggest threat, followed by malicious attacks or targeted intrusions (18 percent), and autonomous or untargeted robotic networks (botnets) (14 percent).

“The survey confirms that IT management loses the most sleep over human error or malice,” says Doug Eckrote, CDW’s senior vice president, strategic solutions and services. “Yet, it is troubling to see so many organizations still struggling with preventable threats such as viruses and worms, when the stakes are so much higher from the risks that newer threats pose.”

Regardless of which threat worries them most, only 17 percent of participants say that nothing at all would convince their companies to invest in higher levels of threat prevention, and 18 percent say that only a significant breach of their systems would compel an escalation in security investment. However, showing optimism that their executive management understands the business risks, 39 percent of respondents believe that a specific assessment pointing out vulnerabilities in their current IT security systems would lead to an increased investment in network protection.

The survey found that businesses concerned primarily about evolved forms of current, preventable threats tend to be smaller than those concerned with other threats and have less support or understanding of IT security risks among their executive management. Nearly half (41 percent) of the “evolved threats” group are businesses with less than 100 network user seats, compared to just 20 percent of those focused on other threats. Only 57 percent of the “evolved threats” group agrees that their executive management team understands the risks of IT security breaches, versus 72 percent of all other participants.

For a copy of the IT Threat Prevention Straw Poll, visit www.cdw.com/threatprevention.

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