Full speed ahead and damn the torpedoes

David Heath
Thursday, 03 November 2011 22:05

Business IT - Security

Ernst & Young's 14th annual Global Information Security Survey shows that organisations are racing to adopt new technologies, but in their rush are neglecting the threat of security issues.

Released by Ernst & Young today, the 14th Annual Global Information Security Report delivers a set of results that paint a picture of corporate IT security managers under siege from all directions, having to compete with the continual rise of cloud computing, social media, bring-your-own device trends and an increasing awareness of natural disasters.  It seems they remain mostly reactive in their outlook.

1,700 organisations were surveyed globally, with 165 from Australia. 

Mike Trovato, Ernst & Young Information Security Leader said: "We may have  thought the pace of change in technology couldn't possibly move any faster, but with the adoption of new technologies occurring at lightning speed, so too rises the threat of security breaches on a global scale.

"While Australian organisations were slower on the uptake of integrating mobile devices into business-as-usual, they were adopting cloud technologies at a faster rate than their global counterparts."

76% of respondents world-wide agreed that there was an increasing level of risk due to external threats, yet just 42% had updated their information security strategy since the last survey.

Interestingly, Australian organisations seem very slow (compared to the rest of the world) to integrate mobile devices into their platforms yet conversely are ahead of the world in cloud adoption (despite the on-going concerns over data domicility).

However, Anonymous and LulzSec have captured the attention of the companies surveyed.