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Computing Technology Industry Association
survey confirms what you probably already suspected.
At a Washington briefing with government officials,
the Computing Technology Industry Association (CompTIA) revealed
results from its new security survey ‘Committing to security:
a CompTIA analysis of IT security and the workforce’.
The survey shows that human error – not
technical malfunction – is the most significant cause of IT
security breaches in the public and private sectors. Encouragingly,
an overwhelming majority of respondents stating that IT training
and certification have improved network security.
“We think the results are pretty staggering,” said Brian
McCarthy, CompTIA’s chief operating officer. “Where
agencies and companies have looked primarily to technology for network
safety, in over 63 percent of identified security breaches, human
error looks to be a major, underlying factor.”
The study, conducted by NFO Prognostics, surveyed 638 respondents
from the public and private sectors. Among other things, the survey
assessed security breach frequency and common causes, security resources,
responsibility and enforcement practices, investment in security
and certification, and steps taken in response to government regulatory
and legislative mandates.
Other highlights show:
* 31 percent had experienced from one-to-three “major security
breaches” - i.e., that caused real harm, resulted in confidential
information taken, or interrupted business - in the last six months;
* 22 percent said none of their IT employees have received security-related
training; 69 percent have fewer than 25 percent of their IT staff
security-trained; and only 11 percent said that all of their IT
employees have received security training;
* 96 percent would recommend security training for their IT staff;
* 73 percent would recommend more comprehensive security certification
for their IT staff;
* 66 percent believe that staff training/certification has improved
their IT security, primarily through increased awareness, as well
as through proactive risk identification;
* 59 percent said that government security regulations are largely
inappropriate, failing to adequately address the practical side
of the problem.
www.comptia.org
•Date:
20th March 2003 •Region: North America •Type:
Article •Topic: ISM
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