Interviews

Information security report

by Mark Rowe

Cyber-attacks, such as the recent WannaCry ransomware attack, cause great disruption and financial loss, meaning organisations need to focus on collaboration as a key driver for building information security which is an important component of organizational resilience. That’s according to a new report from the Business Continuity Institute (BCI) and email security product company Mimecast.

The BCI Information Security Report looks to benchmark how organisations handle sensitive data and how resilient they are when it comes to data protection. The survey assessed 369 organisations in 63 countries worldwide on the different solutions and key drivers on which they build information security. Some three-quarters of organisations report the use of internet-connected devices at least once daily which demonstrates the pervasiveness of technology and how crucial it is to keep these devices secure. The results also showed that, top management commitment is pivotal in building information security across the organisation. Compliance with legislation alongside organizational policies – such as staff training and company regulation – and financial investment in information security, were also key drivers.

The average number of hours it would take for UK organisations to find and retrieve personal or sensitive data is eight hours. Some, 15pc of organisations don’t know whether they have suffered a data loss incident in the last 12 months. For the full report visit: http://www.thebci.org/index.php/about/news-room#/pressreleases/bci-information-security-report-2157452.

Comments

Mayur Pitamber, cyber resilience expert at Mimecast, said: “Business continuity professionals are looking closely at the incoming GDPR legislation but it’s clear that more needs to be done to combat data loss down to human error. Employees are an organisation’s most valuable asset and the cyber resilience responsibility needs to be shared with everyone to improve the response to new cyber threats. Organisations must have a holistic plan that embodies security, business continuity, data protection and end-user empowerment; and to ensure the entire organisation is educated, engaged and involved in planning and response, from the boardroom to IT and beyond.”

And Patrick Alcantara DBCI, Research and Insight Lead at the BCI, said: “Information security and protecting customer data are emerging as top concerns for organisations worldwide. For one, with the EU General Data Protection Regulation coming into force next year, it places greater obligations to safeguard sensitive data. The BCI Information Security Report in association with Mimecast is a timely reminder for organisations to adopt good practice in order to respond to these changes.”

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