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Survey reveals SME IT fears

Published On 18 April 2007 at 08:50:35

The owners of UK businesses are now more concerned about information theft and regulatory compliance than threats posed by viruses, new research suggests.

Cisco questioned the people responsible for managing their organisation's IT systems and found that 38 per cent thought that data theft represented the biggest threat to their operation. A further 33 per cent said they spend most of their time ensuring regulatory compliance.

Only 27 per cent cited viral attacks as their biggest concern - compared to 55 per cent in 2006.

None of the respondents said that they were "very concerned" about the security of voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP).

"This survey shows just how far the information security market has progressed over the past year," says Paul King, senior security advisor for Cisco.

"In 2006, security concerns were focused on mitigating specific, typically external threats, but our research finds that security professionals are taking a more business-oriented approach in 2007."

Figures from the Home Office indicate that viral attacks cost businesses £27.8 million in 2004.

 

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