There’s a disconnected view towards IT security in the marketplace, it’s claimed by Computacenter, an IT provider, after its 2016 Infosecurity Europe survey in London.
A majority (88 per cent) of security professionals interviewed stated that they are satisfied with their organisation’s strategy to manage security risks, with most (75 per cent) also using analytic tools to assist security operations. However, a third (38 per cent) confessed that their company do not have dedicated data loss prevention solutions in place. This shows the IT firm says a worrying lack of proactive security prevention strategies in a global market that is facing a constantly evolving threat landscape.
The survey also suggests that the vast majority (95 per cent) of IT professionals are very aware of the risks associated with the increasing move towards cloud and other advanced technologies, with 62 per cent also stating that they have some measures in place to protect against these risks. However, when pushed, they identified that there are still areas that need improvement:
· Over half (53 per cent) identified defining a cloud strategy as a key point that needs to be addressed;
· 52 per cent also pointed to the need to increase employee knowledge, such as education on common security threats and preventative measures; and
· Over 30 per cent highlighted the desire to change cloud providers as vital step to enhancing the level of security they are provided.
There is clear uncertainty around the capabilities of existing host providers, which suggests a failure to demonstrate that existing security measures are adequate to protect these companies. Cloud providers need to take a hard look at their platforms to ensure that they can provide businesses the security they require, the IT firm adds.
Colin Williams, Chief Technologist of Networking, Security & Unified Communications at Computacenter, says: “Data is the lifeblood of any organisation, so any risk directly impacts the business. The findings of our latest research show that organisations must thoroughly look at their security strategies to ensure a holistic approach is in place to address all of the requirements of their business model. Traditional reactive approaches to security will no longer suffice in our increasingly digitised and mobile world, so decision makers must rethink their approach to implement a visibility rich, analytics driven approach to deliver effective information security.”
Security partners
With the variety of evolving factors facing modern organisations, like digitalisation, consumerisation and mobility, they now need support from partners that can provide complete coverage for their security infrastructure needs. Coupled with the increasing number of regulatory controls and the new data protection landscape, security professionals have to access all available resources to ensure their organisations are fully prepared for all eventualities across platforms.
Bill McGloin, Chief Technologist, Information at Computacenter adds: “Understanding and traversing the security landscape is difficult for even the most experienced IT professional. Companies must gain an understanding of the steps needed to better inform their security strategies. The survey findings illustrate that it has become vital to form the right strategic partnerships to access the expertise and the best in class solutions that suit their particular business model and growth trajectory.”
Research methodology
The Computacenter research was conducted to collate the opinions of the over 200 IT security professionals into how UK businesses are using technology to harness data to strengthen security strategies. The survey was conducted amongst delegates at the Infosecurity Europe event in June 2016, pictured, in London.
