The Department of Trade and Industry is billing its current info-security survey as the most comprehensive in the UK.
The Department of Trade and Industry is billing its current info-security survey as the most comprehensive in the UK. A consortium led by PricewaterhouseCoopers is managing the 2002 Survey. The survey also draws on the expertise of other consortium members RSA Security, Symantec, Genuity and Countrywide Porter Novelli. The DTI?s last Information Security Breaches Survey released in April 2000 identified that 60 per cent of organisations had suffered a security breach, while only 14 per cent had a security policy in place. The 2002 survey will track progress on information security since, and will address new risk areas such as e-business, wireless networks and e-procurement. The survey until January will be based on 1,000 telephone interviews; 100 face to face interviews; and answers to an online questionnaire. Results will be made public at Infosecurity Europe in April 2002. For details visit www.security-survey.gov.uk. Chris Potter, e-business security partner, PricewaterhouseCoopers, says: ?In my experience, information security has never been higher on the board’s agenda. In today’s commercial environment, the right security can enable businesses to drive out costs through opening up access to their core business systems across the internet. But, at the same time, the threat from hackers and cybercrime is ever increasing, so the wrong security can cost businesses dear. However, it is often quite hard for boards to decide what level of security to adopt. There’s no such thing as 100 per cent security, so many business people struggle to understand what level is sufficient for their needs. All businesses tend to be very secretive about their security incidents, so it is often hard to understand what the vital security exposures are. This survey should be an invaluable reference point in understanding the real incidents that UK businesses have experienced over the last year, together with the practical steps they have taken to address them.?
