 |  | | How secure can you be? | | | | Dear Subscriber, | | | In the digital age, you can never be too secure. So it's with great pleasure that I introduce Momentum this month. This issue is chock-full of insight into major issues such as aligning security policy with business priorities and cost-effective disaster recovery strategies. You'll also find |
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information on the security features of Windows Server 2008 and tips on getting your employees to comply with security requirements. Plus, take a look at our guide on making sense of Microsoft security tools. As always, we're eager for your feedback on the topics in this issue and your wishes for what to cover in the future. Please send your comments to mo-info@microsoft.com.
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Best Regards,
Christoph Wilfert
General Manager
US Midmarket Business
Microsoft
| | | | Technology at work |  | | | | | | | | | |  | | Can NFC help retailers rake in customers? | | An emerging short-range wireless technology called near-field communications will provide mobile payments acceptance capabilities along with promotional and loyalty redemption opportunities. |
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| |  | | Wrestling with compliance confusion | | A solid security framework and a touch of negotiation can go a long way for professionals who have to meet the security demands of multiple industries. |
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| | Spotlight | | | Keeping pace in the security race
Does it often feel like you're running in place when it comes to protecting company data? You're not alone.
Four out of 10 small and midsize U.S. companies surveyed do not believe their networks are secure, even though 95 percent report they use antivirus software, 93 percent use a firewall, and 80 percent use spam filtering. That was the finding of a survey of 455 IT executives carried out by polling company eMediaUSA on behalf of GFI Software, a Microsoft Gold Certified Partner and international developer of network security, content security, and messaging software.
A number of surveys on security issues of late provide some interesting tidbits:
A Deloitte survey of more than 100 companies in the technology, media and entertainment, and telecommunications industries reveals that 46 percent of respondents do not have a formal information security strategy in place. Just 7 percent of the surveyed companies believe they are prepared for future security threats, and only 38 percent believe their organization has all the skills and capabilities they need to respond effectively and efficiently to security challenges The survey conducted for GFI found that 32 percent of surveyed SMBs suffered at least one breach over a one-year period. Of those reporting breaches, 69 percent experienced a virus attack, 30 percent suffered infected Internet downloads, and 24 percent experienced loss of hardware such as laptops. The proliferation of Wi-Fi networks poses key security challenges for IT managers, says In-Stat. The market research firm projects the spread of wireless local area networks (WLAN) will result in close to 1.5 billion client devices with WLAN capability being shipped by vendors between 2007 and 2011. By 2011, dual-mode cellular/Wi-Fi phones will comprise almost 50 percent of WLAN clients, says In-Stat, which notes that many devices will be purchased by individuals rather than their companies.
The good news is that companies apparently are not sticking their heads in the sand. AMI-Partners says that SMBs were projected to spend 17 percent more on security in 2007 compared to 2006. Small businesses are primarily spending on antivirus products and security services, while midsize businesses "are allocating a large chunk of their funds to security services providers and security hardware," says Pauline Courtiau, a New York-based analyst with AMI-Partners.
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