These are just some of the findings of the fifth-annual Data Security Confidence Index , which surveyed 1,050 IT decisionmakers and 10,500 consumers worldwide . The research found that business ’ ability to analyse the data they collect varies worldwide with India ( 55 %) and Australia ( 47 %) best at using the data they collect .

In fact , despite nine in 10 ( 89 %) global organisations agreeing that analysing data effectively gives them a competitive edge , only one in five Benelux ( 20 %) and British ( 19 %) companies are able to do so .

“ If businesses can ’ t analyse all of the data they collect , they can ’ t understand the value of it – and that means they won ’ t know how to apply the appropriate security controls to that data ,” says Jason Hart , Vice President and CTO for Data Protection at Gemalto .

“ Whether it ’ s selling it on the Dark Web , manipulating it for financial gain or to damage reputations , unsecured data is a goldmine for hackers . You only need to look at the recent hacks on the World

Anti-Doping Agency and International Luge Federation to see the damage that can be done . What ’ s more , data manipulation can take years to discover and with data informing everything from business strategy to sales and product development , its value and integrity cannot be underestimated .”

Confidence in securing the breach is low

When it comes to how data is being secured , the study found that almost half ( 48 %) of IT professionals say perimeter security is effective at keeping unauthorised users out of their networks . This is despite the majority of IT professionals ( 68 %) believing unauthorised users can access their corporate networks , with Australian companies being the most likely ( 84 %) and the UK the least ( 46 %).

However , once the hackers are inside , less than half of companies ( 43 %) are extremely confident that their data would be secure . UK businesses are the most concerned with just 24 % prepared to

say they ’ re extremely confident , with Australia the highest ( 65 %).

Even though there is still faith in how they ’ re securing their networks , one third ( 27 %) of companies reported that their perimeter security had been breached in the past 12 months . Of those that had suffered a breach at some point , only 10 % of that compromised data was protected by encryption , leaving the rest exposed . u

Jason Hart , Vice President and CTO for Data Protection at Gemalto

intelligent DATA SECURITY

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