Majority of Data Security Risks Are Internal, Survey Says

Majority of Data Security Risks Are Internal, Survey Says

A data leakage research contracted by Cisco revealed that most business IT managers consider their employees as a far greater threat to company data security.


The survey was participated by over 2,000 employees and IT support staff from 10 countries. Results showed that majority of the threats faced by businesses come from internal sources, may it be intentional or accidental. Among the IT managers who responded, 39 percent see laxity among employees as the primary reason for data security risk. Around 33 percent of the IT respondents said portable hard drive devices are the most common channels of data leakage. Email, lost or stolen devices, and verbal communication with outside sources were among the most common outlets of information outflow.



In addition, the study concluded that IT sketchily believes employees are already aware of the dangers posed by negligent protection of data .