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Check Point and Ponemon Survey Reveal 77 percent of Businesses Experienced Data Loss Last Year | |
Posted: Wed Jun 08, 2011 12:07:25 PM | |
Redwood City, CA — Wed, 08 Jun 2011 Check Point® Software Technologies Ltd. (Nasdaq: CHKP), the worldwide leader in securing the Internet, and the Ponemon Institute, a leading privacy and information management research firm, today revealed that 77 percent of organizations surveyed have experienced data loss in the last year. Key findings from the report, Understanding Security Complexity in 21st Century IT Environments, show respondents cited customer information (52%) as the most common type of information compromised – in addition to intellectual property (33%), employee information (31%) and corporate plans (16%). With the adoption of Web 2.0 applications and more mobile devices connecting to the network, organizations are challenged with enforcing better data security and IT Governance, Risk and Compliance (GRC) requirements. According to the survey of over 2,400 IT security administrators, the primary cause for data loss resulted from lost or stolen equipment, followed by network attacks, insecure mobile devices, Web 2.0 and file-sharing applications and accidentally sending emails to the wrong recipient. In addition, approximately 49 percent of all respondents believe their employees have little or no awareness about data security, compliance and policies – encouraging business to integrate more user awareness into their data protection strategies, as people are often the first line of defense. “We understand that data security and compliance are often at the top of the CISO’s list. However, if you look at the drivers for data loss, the majority of incidents are unintentional,” said Oded Gonda, vice president of network security products at Check Point Software Technologies. “In order to move data loss from detection to prevention, businesses should consider integrating more user awareness and establish the appropriate processes to gain more visibility and control of information assets.” With Data Loss Prevention (DLP) as a top information security challenge, it’s important for businesses to understand the key issues driving data loss and establish a set of security best practices to prevent a breach, for example:
“With hundreds of data loss incidents every year – both reported and unreported – it’s no surprise the issues with governance, risk and compliance are being magnified,” said Dr. Larry Ponemon, chairman and founder, Ponemon Institute. “Data security in a modern day world means more than deploying a set of technologies to overcome these challenges. In fact, the lack of employee awareness is a primary cause in data loss incidents and is encouraging more businesses to educate their users about corporate policies in place.” The Check Point DLP Software Blade is based on the company’s Software Blade Architecture™. With a unique combination of technology and user awareness, Check Point helps businesses pre-emptively protect sensitive information from unintentional loss. With its unique UserCheck™ technology, Check Point DLP goes beyond technology to educate users on proper data handling policies and empowering them to remediate incidents in real-time. The survey, Understanding Security Complexity in 21st Century IT Environments was independently conducted by the Ponemon Institute in February 2011, surveying IT security administrators located in the U.S., U.K. France, Germany and Japan. The survey sample represents organizations of all sizes and across 14 different industries. “At Check Point, we look at data loss prevention as a strategy, not a science – and we are committed to ensuring our customers have the tools and protection needed to prevent and remediate breaches, before they occur,” concluded Gonda. |