BeCrypt data security survey.

BeCrypt has released findings from its recent Public Sector Data Security Survey, (October 2007). The survey, conducted amongst Councils, London Boroughs and Police Authorities, investigated how public sector organisations are approaching the requirement for mobile working and the issues around this for data security. According to findings in the research, only 8% of those local authorities interviewed have full disaster recovery plans. In addition 90% of participants also claimed that they do not have special procedures for protecting sensitive data.

The survey was conducted by BeCrypt during August and September 2007. Questions in the survey asked what disaster recovery plans councils had in place in the event that employees may not able to get to work and how important mobile working is to the organisation and data security for mobile devices. It also included questions on data leakage and the usage of USB devices.

BeCrypt commented; "The survey provided an extremely useful piece of quantifiable research to assess how public sector organisations are approaching the increasing requirement for mobile working and the challenges that surround it. "The use of laptops, USB devices and other removable media are posing an increasing risk to data security. The survey highlights that 30% of councils have no policy regarding the use of USB devices and the inadvertent or malicious threat of data leakage. It is evident that such organisations not only require a security policy, but also encryption solutions that enable it to be implemented."

www.becrypt.com