Over two-thirds of executives view ensuring reliable network security as the single most critical factor in the successful implementation of a converged IP network.

According to a new survey from global carrier AT&T in co-operation with the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU), 60%  of executives say that processing customer data online exposes their firms to electronic security breaches, more than any other type of vulnerability, 89% say viruses and worms remain the top electronic security threat to companies. However, the top area of network vulnerability remains people.

The EIU global survey of 236 senior executives, representing firms from 50 countries and more than 20 industries, addressed the electronic security implications of network convergence and reported that for the second year running, security remains at the top of the list as the most critical network attribute of network performance, ahead of cost, complexity and business disruption.

More than 60% of all executives surveyed say that processing customer data online exposes their firms to electronic security breaches, more than any other type of vulnerability. Yet three years from now, 62% of the respondents expect to have implemented IP through most or all of their organisations.

Respondents revealed a clear link between their firms' technology-related goals and their chief information vulnerabilities. Among some of the key benefits of convergence the enabling of deeper electronic collaboration with customers as well as remote and mobile working ח are also a prime area of network vulnerability.

The new capabilities of the ubiquitous network are great for commerce, but open a whole new dimension of risk,Ӕ said AT&Ts Stan Quintana. ғA multi-layered approach to security is required, he claimed.

According to 89% of respondents, viruses and worms remain the top electronic security threat to companies, but fewer (83%) expect this will be the case in two yearsԒ time. Surveyed executives expect the threats from hackers as well as from competitor espionage to grow in the same time frame, with 57% putting it among the chief security threats, compared with less than half today. Competitor espionage is another area where they expect to see increases.

Meanwhile, hackers will increasingly be joined by, or employed by, professional criminals targeting corporations as subjects of financial crime, through such techniques as phishingђ, already common today.

However, the top area of network vulnerability remains people. Most executives believe the majority of attacks originate internally, as a result of internal sabotage or espionage by employees or of unintentional mistakes. In direct contradiction there is a growing trend towards mobile and other forms of remote working, as management seeks to boost employee productivity and job satisfaction. Companies, for example, are using wireless technologies to allow sales people, service technicians and other mobile staff access to network applications and mission-critical data. Yet the security features of enterprise wireless networks remain less robust than those inherent in the fixed network.

This contradicts the parallel trends within firms toward expanded employee mobility and remote working, on the one hand, and greater collaboration with customers, supplier and partners on the other. Each of these presents distinct challenges to the operation of corporate networks.

The survey suggests that business leaders are coming to grips with electronic securitybetter understanding the nature of threats, and setting organisational structures and spending patterns in place to ensure they are met in a robust way. Corporate spending on network security is levelling off at about 15% of IT budgets, suggesting a commitment on the part of the executive suite to maintain spend at a relatively high level to maintain the defences.

As part of the research for the paper, the Economist Intelligence Unit conducted an online worldwide survey of 236 executives. The majority of respondents came from Asia Pacific (39%), North America (30%) and Europe (25%). Other respondents came from Latin America the Middle East and Africa. The top five industry sectors represented by the survey respondents were professional services, financial services, manufacturing, technology, energy, and healthcare and pharmaceuticals.