Cisco sees security spend surge 20

Security spending is expected to increase by 20 per cent across the globe, including India, due to the increase in usage of wireless and mobile connectivity among employees, says a survey by network solutions provider Cisco.

In India, almost 36 per cent of the respondents predict the increase in security spending to be between 10 and 20 per cent.

The latest research builds on findings released earlier this month, which highlighted the growing trend of mobile employees and the heightened risks for businesses as they connect to corporate networks and carry sensitive information outside office walls.

While the previous survey involved more than 700 mobile employees in seven countries, where wireless and mobility technologies are widely adopted, the additional findings reveal spending plans and business drivers for over 700 IT decision makers, who work in those same nations: the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, China, India, South Korea and Singapore.

“These figures are significant because a 20 per cent increase in spending on security alone could represent hundreds of thousands to millions of dollars for mid-size and large enterprises,” said Jeff Platon, vice-president of security solutions for Cisco.

Virus containment was the single-largest issue that Chief Information Officers (CIOs) in India found among wireless devices over the past year. A third of respondents in both India and China feel that security incidents will increase in the next year. In India, 41 per cent of respondents are focusing on wireless security, while 42 per cent are focusing on both wired and wireless security.

Almost two-thirds (63 per cent) of IT respondents say more employees are being enabled to work anywhere, anytime with laptops, smart phones, or both.

Germany (74 per cent) leads the pack, followed by China and India (69 per cent), South Korea (66 per cent) and the United States (58 per cent).

Education and awareness among users will be key to the success of any security policy. Many mobile users in the survey say they aren’t always aware of security concerns, and their actions provide proof.

Throughout the seven countries, many mobile employees say they access unauthorised wireless networks in public places and in their neighbourhoods.

Many say they don’t encrypt data on their wireless devices or set passwords to prevent physical access to their information.

And, inevitably, some mobile users lose their devices or are victims of theft.

However, more than half agree that regulatory compliance initiatives are driving attention to wireless security. The countries where this is the biggest driver are India, Singapore and China.

Ben Gibson, Cisco’s director of mobility solutions, said: “The research really provides an opportunity for IT to reassess its relationship with increasingly mobile user bases and consider new ways to minimise spending. If you look at it from all angles — compliance, policies, business needs and human behaviour — technology is only half of the equation. Proactive communication, education and engagement of employees on safe, appropriate online behaviour, especially when they are mobile and remote, can help to ensure solid returns on strategic IT investments that bring the promise of a secure, mobile wireless business to life.”