'Employees bypass data security controls to do their jobs'
31/03/2008 12:09:44
Employees have admitted to evading information security measures in order to do their jobs, research has revealed.
A survey by IT Governance claims that managers are failing to understand the correct balance between the confidentiality and availability of information as 68 per cent of employees questioned said they bypass security controls to do their work.
Of the 130 technology and compliance professionals polled by the company, on issues relating to the UK Data Protection Act, 82 per cent had clear policies for protecting personal data.
However, only 55 per cent of employees handling personal data had been given legal training regarding their responsibilities in this area.
Alan Calder, chief executive of IT Governance, said: "By imposing ill-considered procedures, many organisations leave people little option but to break the rules if they are to do their jobs.
"This not only leaves businesses vulnerable to data breaches and fines, but also does lasting damage to the way employees regard infosecurity."
The company's findings concur with those of the recent 2008 Information Security Breaches Survey, which revealed that while many companies have invested in IT security policies, staff are not always aware of the best measures to keep information safe.
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