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MUMBAI, March 20

SECURITY and privacy concerns are the top barriers to increasing connectivity in companies, says Ernst & Young's Global Information Security Survey 2002 while warning companies that financial and reputational vulnerability will only increase as connectivity increases.

The survey conducted across 17 countries, reveals that 70 per cent of Indian CIOs, IT Directors and business executives surveyed indicate that they expect to experience greater vulnerability as connectivity increases.

Majority of respondents also indicated that critical business systems are increasingly interrupted — 76 per cent experienced unexpected availability. Yet business continuity plans exist at only 47 per cent of Indian companies, as compared to 53 per cent globally, and over half the respondents do not have agreed recovery timescales, the survey says.

The survey highlights the fact that information security is still regarded as a technical issue among corporates, to be left to the technology department — resulting in technology solutions without supporting business processes.

According to Mr Sunil Chandiramani, National Director, Ernst & Young's Information Systems assurance and advisory Services, ``An organisation's information security strategy must extend beyond the technical solution to include sound consideration of the nature of business risks and culture. It must be informed and must drive tactical and operational decisions in all business areas if it is to be of real value today. Getting this right can mean the difference between success and failure.''

Meanwhile, employee awareness of information security policies and procedures is cited by 68 per cent of respondents as a barrier to achieving effective security. Even so, only half of those surveyed have employee awareness and training programmes in place to ensure security policies underpinning technical solutions are understood and adhered to, the survey says.

It adds that respondents indicate a greater concern about vulnerability to external attack (62 per cent) than internal (50 per cent), yet globally published data continues to confirm that more than three-quarters of attacks originate from within organisations.

In an economic environment marked with redundancies and hiring freezes, internal security is likely to become an increasing issue for businesses, the survey says.

``Today's business environment demands that business leaders understand, anticipate and manage information security and availability as a business-wide priority.

Organisations perceived to have irresponsible approach to information security will be increasingly penalised by potential business partners and customers,'' says Mr Chandiramani.

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