Data Theft to Cause Resource Drain by 20%

The loss of sensitive data resulting from security breaches will raise cost by 20% every year till 2009, according to Gartner analysts. In the continued prevalence of mass outbreaks of viruses and worms, enterprise investments for controlling access to network, managing vulnerability, and preventing intrusion have paid their worth, as success of such mass attacks have lowered.

However, attackers who act with financial motive launched increasing number of attacks and when successful, they caused immense harm to the organization at the lower levels, which often remain unreported.

With the spread of targeted attacks, there is also continuous appearance of vulnerabilities, but it is possible to avoid 90% of these attacks without the need to raise security expenditure, say Gartner analysts. To ensure that an enterprise does not belong to the remaining 10% of the targets, there is need to put security processes in right places.

Attackers who employ malware use internal executables to transfer information outside the organization, said Vice President John Pescatore for Gartner. CRM Today reported this on October 9, 2007. It is getting increasingly important to effectively block 'inside out' transmission of data just as it is with 'outside in' communication. Security measures must be capable of reducing the expenditure for managing mass attacks so that the company's capital and workforce can be diverted in combating the more intricate targeted attacks, Pescatore concluded.

According to Gartner, an enterprise on average spends above 5% of the budget allotted to IT on network security and almost 12% if it includes expenditure on disaster recovery. However, there is little correlation between the organizations that use most of the budget for security and those that have secured their networks to the maximum. While the need for investment in different areas of business is vital, security areas too have scope for improving, thereby requiring extra investment.

Securing enterprises is best possible by avoiding vulnerabilities that also help to reduce security expenditure. This would ensure that for software installed for the first time, security requirement is a top priority, said managing Vice President Ray Wagner for Gartner. Market Watch reported this on October 8, 2007.

Related article: Data Theft Incidents Influence Consumers Adversely

» SPAMfighter News - 10/23/2007