Web Security News

Companies worried about remote access data breaches

Friday, May 8, 2009

Companies that provide remote access to their networks for workers represent the bulk of organizations - about 92 percent, according to a survey published recently by a British IT security firm.

Although 82 percent of companies allow workers to carry company data on their laptops and mobile devices to work remotely, 44 percent of companies in the survey believe their networks are only "quite" secure, amid growing cybersecurity threats.

The AEP Networks survey also found that firms are increasingly worried about the impacts of a data breach on their business: 29 percent believe this would cause major, long term damage.

Asked about the likely impact of data loss on their organization, only 3 percent believed that jobs would be lost and the same number would expect no real impact at all.

"The survey is an interesting snap-shot of the market today. Easy access to corporate data is a necessity in the modern world, which makes data security essential," said Pat Donnellan, CEO of AEP Networks.

Sixty-one percent of companies said they rely on virtual private network (VPN) security to provide adequate protection for their remote access needs, Donnellan said.

About 69 percent of the 160 organizations surveyed said they plan to increase their investment in remote security over the next 12 months.