Identity theft, viruses, spyware—for companies, the hazards associated with a lack of computer safety are many. Firms possess a treasure trove of data on their customers and employees. Hence they may be particularly vulnerable, even large companies, as was recently seen in the Monster security breach.
According to the latest Léger Marketing survey on data security, conducted for Fusepoint Managed Services, an information-technology outsourcing firm, Canadian executives are far from being confident. Almost half (48%) fear for the security of confidential information on their company’s hard drives. This concern is no doubt justified, as one in five executives said his or her company currently doesn’t use any form of basic protection, such as anti-virus software or firewall applications.
With such negligence, 17% of Canadian employees polled reported that their company had already been the victim of hacking attempts. Contrary to popular belief, the hazard may come as much from external hackers as from employees themselves, involuntarily. Fusepoint president and CEO George Kerns is alarmist: “Many executives are speeding down the information superhighway without a seat belt and putting businesses and consumers at risk.” This is why he believes that “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of protection when it comes to sensitive data.” One never knows what the consequences of data theft could be. Almost 42% of executives admitted they could not anticipate the financial repercussions in the event of a security breach.