The IT security community has faced a challenging, uphill battle when it comes to modern data and communications protection, especially as hackers become more diverse and complex in their tactics. Regardless of industry or region, virtually every organization is at risk of experiencing some form of security incident, data exposure, theft or fraud, as cybercriminals have stopped discriminating and started targeting all types of information.
While one might think that the IT professionals working in the average organization are well aware of threats and are following the best practices to avoid them, studies indicate that a relatively apathy remains among various employees and decision-makers. The first step is to recognize the importance of strong security, then begin to implement the necessary tools to manage risk proactively, such as email encryption and advanced data center protection solutions.
Lack of encryption is widespread
IT Pro Portal reported that a survey taken at the recent Infosecurity Europe conference revealed that a high volume of technology workers are failing to consistently encrypt data and emails before sending them to various parties. Although the security landscape is highly complex and the discussion of best practices can yield a variety of arguments, most experts agree that encryption is a critical aspect of protection.
According to the news provider, more than one-third of the 200 IT professionals who participated in the survey stated that they do not encrypt emails or data that is traveling through other channels, meaning that the sensitive information contained therein is at even greater risk of exposure, theft and loss. Encryption can help to ensure that, even when a hacker gets his or her hands on a sensitive file, he or she will not be able to access the information.
The source cited the comments of analyst Bob Tarzey of research firm Quocirca, who stated that most professionals likely understand the importance of encryption, but do not follow through.
Encryption made easy
Some decision-makers might be thinking that encryption is simply outside of their area of expertise, and that their organizations are not technologically advanced or savvy enough to implement these tools. However, encryption software has become exceedingly intuitive in the past few years, allowing companies with even the least amount of technological prowess to swiftly deploy and use the tools for all types of communications, file transfers and data storage purposes.
David Bailey is Senior Vice President at Protected Trust.
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