According to a recent industry report, Australian IT managers are fighting an uphill battle in an effort to safeguard hardware, software and sensitive information. Specifically, in a recent report for Kensington ANZ, IDC, Australia discovered that over half of those surveyed reported losses last year.
The report, which surveyed 100 IT managers and 1000 employees from enterprises and small to medium enterprises (SMEs), that laptops were the main target, with 45% of respondents reporting a loss in 2011. Only 34% of these managers reported a theft in 2010. Hence, there has been a significant rise in losses.
COMMENT: According to the results of the survey, an average of 2.2 laptops were lost or stolen from each company per year at an average cost of $3354 per laptop. The financial sector experienced the most laptop thefts, with 53% of employees filing reports. A complacent attitude toward laptop security was a contributing factor, the survey revealed, with 78% of the 1000 employees surveyed admitting they took their laptop out of the office, but only 72% secured their device with a physical locking device The report also found that nine out of 10 employees were not concerned, or only slightly concerned, about theft in the workplace.
In addition, only 63% of the IT managers surveyed had a security policy in place, while 25% indicated that employees said they would be liable if they were found to be responsible for the loss or theft of a laptop.
IT managers working in the financial sector were found to be less likely to have a security policy, with 41% indicating that they had a policy in place, compared with 60% from the government sector and 58% in education.
Kensington ANZ marketing and business development manager, Sam Goldstein, said in a statement that IT managers needed to have a security policy in place and educate staff about securing their laptops. Only 31% of employees claimed that their companies used laptop locks. Of those that did, over half of respondents issued with a laptop lock reported that they chose not to use because it was too much of a nuisance and 30% said it was too time consuming, Goldstein reported.
Australian hardware, software and sensitive information compromises were roughly the same as they are in the US, Canada, Latin America and Europe, although IT security awareness seems to be much more vigilant in Asia.
The report, which surveyed 100 IT managers and 1000 employees from enterprises and small to medium enterprises (SMEs), that laptops were the main target, with 45% of respondents reporting a loss in 2011. Only 34% of these managers reported a theft in 2010. Hence, there has been a significant rise in losses.
COMMENT: According to the results of the survey, an average of 2.2 laptops were lost or stolen from each company per year at an average cost of $3354 per laptop. The financial sector experienced the most laptop thefts, with 53% of employees filing reports. A complacent attitude toward laptop security was a contributing factor, the survey revealed, with 78% of the 1000 employees surveyed admitting they took their laptop out of the office, but only 72% secured their device with a physical locking device The report also found that nine out of 10 employees were not concerned, or only slightly concerned, about theft in the workplace.
In addition, only 63% of the IT managers surveyed had a security policy in place, while 25% indicated that employees said they would be liable if they were found to be responsible for the loss or theft of a laptop.
IT managers working in the financial sector were found to be less likely to have a security policy, with 41% indicating that they had a policy in place, compared with 60% from the government sector and 58% in education.
Kensington ANZ marketing and business development manager, Sam Goldstein, said in a statement that IT managers needed to have a security policy in place and educate staff about securing their laptops. Only 31% of employees claimed that their companies used laptop locks. Of those that did, over half of respondents issued with a laptop lock reported that they chose not to use because it was too much of a nuisance and 30% said it was too time consuming, Goldstein reported.
Australian hardware, software and sensitive information compromises were roughly the same as they are in the US, Canada, Latin America and Europe, although IT security awareness seems to be much more vigilant in Asia.
