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17.04.2009 - Data theft is on the rise
ASW study shows security gaps in companies
According to a study by the German Association for Security in Industry and Commerce (Arbeitsgemeinschaft für Sicherheit der Wirtschaft, ASW), data theft and espionage are the greatest threats to German businesses. Only very few companies have sufficient security mechanisms, as the experts report.
The results of a survey of IT security experts confirm a further deterioration of the security situation: 79 percent of the interviewed experts expect an increase in security threats. The focus of these threats is the IT environment – and especially attacks by so-called malware from the internet and hacker attacks. Particularly crucial is the fact that only one third of companies have a security policy and suitable protection mechanisms. Only another 20 percent are already planning the development of a protection concept.
These numbers are alarming especially because the threats caused by industrial espionage are on the rise due to the current economic crisis. „Any drop in customer demand boosts the competition for knowledge“, as ASW President Thomas Menk puts it. 40 percent of the interviewed companies had been spied on by competitors in the last two years.
„These results show that IT security is one of the crucial factors for the future viability of a company“, explains Dr. Volker Scheidemann, head of marketing and product management at the Applied Security GmbH from Stockstadt. The specialist for data security and data leakage prevention is particularly surprised about the fact that many companies still do without sufficient security systems. „And yet an effective protection from data theft is so simple: our software solution fideAS® file enterprise encrypts all files in the entire company network without interfering with other workflows. It only runs as a background process that the PC user doesn’t notice at all.” With this technology, fideAS® file enterprise protects file servers, workstations, laptops and mobile storage devices like USB flash drives. Not even in the case of a loss of the hardware can unauthorized persons access the stored data.