Companies 'must improve' information management
17 July 2008
Firms are not taking sufficient responsibility for data security and information risk management, it has been claimed.
Kieran Poynter, the former chairman of Price Waterhouse Coopers (PwC), blames "a decided lack of ownership" across organisations for data disasters, the type of which have occurred on a number of occasions during Gordon Brown's first year as prime minister.
Writing for the Financial Times, he argues that technology risks creating "a false sense of security", he claims that most breaches are caused by human error, people not knowing how to manage information and a lack of responsibility.
Mr Poynter adds: "There is a widespread perception that information security is an information technology issue and that produces a tendency to focus on security safeguards such as encrypting data on laptops, preventing use of USB memory sticks, password protection and so on.
"However, even in these areas experience shows that there is a long way to go.
"Organisations can have all the policies and processes they like, but if their culture and values, management systems and scrutiny are not joined up in a clear governance framework, this lack of integration lends itself to data security exposures."
He adds that firms with weak data security are generally weak in terms of wider risk management and governance.
In 2003, Accountancy Age suggested Mr Poynter was one of the UK's most highly paid accountants.
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