DATA SECURITY PROJECTS LOW ON IT TOTEM POLE
It is somewhat surprising that data security projects remain low on the IT project hierarchy, despite the constant barrage of data breaches being disclosed so far this year.

There was a time when IT surveys ranked "data security" a primary directive making it the most frequently cited project and spending priority. But companies have either become complacent due to data exposures being so frequent, or feel since they haven't been affected so far they must be doing something right.

Based on IT budgets handed down from CEOs or CFOs, it appears they are not as fearful of being breached as they might have been in years past, at least that's what InformationWeek said in an article on How to Tighten Data Security And Avoid a Major Trade Secret Breach. We gasp at this because whether it's trade secrets or personal employee/customer information, that breach is going to be costly and have a tremendous impact on a business. TJX Cos, owner of T.J. Maxx and Marshalls stores, recorded a $12 million charge against their 1Q earnings, bringing the firm's total breach expenditures to $17 million to date. Estimates say it will cost them billions in total. Although they may well recover, this breach didn't have to happen and one wonders if upper management or the IT department was at fault. This brings up the other scenario of top managements' trust in their IT employees.

Yes, CEOs hold the purse strings, but are IT departments doing everything they can to cover themselves and protect sensitive information? If so, then the blame will fall back on upper management and not on persistent IT professionals who tried to get approval for projects that would ensure internal and external breaches could not slip by.

Because you haven't been breached yet, don't assume your data is secure. Do you think the TJX IT staff was confident in their security? To ensure your IT defenses are thoroughly in place, you need to know where your sensitive data lies, who has access to it, and how well is it protected from unauthorized access.

Understanding where your risks are is an excellent place to start and allows you to prioritize and focus your IT dollars. Conduct reputable penetration tests. Have an unbiased outside security assessment performed that encompasses all aspects of your company information security. This is an invaluable project to guide you in what needs to be done to ensure your data is impenetrable, compliance is being met for your industry, and that nothing has been overlooked. Your company's success depends on how well you protect your sensitive data. Don't be afraid to sound off. It just may keep you from having to address the board on what went wrong when a breach does occur.

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