40 Percent of Companies Have Lost Major Sales Opportunities Because They Could Not Acess Information

40 Percent of Companies Have Lost Major Sales Opportunities Because They Could Not Access Info

40 Percent of Companies Have Lost Major Sales Opportunities Because They Could Not Acess InformationResearch conducted by Voltage Security revealed that the pressure on companies to access information to get their job done is dividing the workforce. While 40% of companies have lost a sales opportunity because employees weren’t able to access the information they needed, an alarming 46% avoided the possibility of losing a sales opportunity by bypassing security controls to access necessary, sensitive information to get the job done.

The study[i] found that while an overwhelming 85% of employees say that security has added value to their company, 40% say security limits their ability to move information around. As a result, half of employees say their job is hindered because they aren’t getting access to all the information they need. With over half of respondents working for large organizations - the majority employing more than 5,000 people - employees are faced with a no-win situation. Of those questioned, 40% simply give up, resulting in lost sales opportunities, while a resilient 46% are pressured into circumventing security controls to close an opportunity.

The findings highlight the need for companies to strike a balance that allows employees to get to the data they need without compromising security by exposing sensitive information to the wrong people. With regards to security, the findings revealed a paradox, while 29% of organizations would notice within seconds or minutes if sensitive data wasn’t secured, a worrying 40% would never notice. This is even more alarming as more than half of respondents stated they had access to financial, customer or HR information they didn’t really need - putting potentially sensitive information at risk.

“It is safe to assume that with the majority of people working for major organizations with more than 5,000 employees, the loss of a single deal can be detrimental to business and may well cause millions in damage,” said Dave Anderson, senior director, marketing, at Voltage Security. “The results show that organizations employ an array of restricting security tools that struggle to make data available to the right people, though the fundamental issue of security remains. Protecting sensitive data is the key requirement.  Security can, and should be, seamlessly integrated into current business processes, rather than stand-alone functions that enable employees to protect information at all times.  Deploying a data-centric framework will enable companies to protect sensitive information at all times, while still allowing employees to access, use and move the data within the enterprise as needed to perform their duties.”

Anderson recommends the following steps to make sure companies can best protect their data while still ensuring it can be accessed and moved with the organization as needed:

  • Think about a data-security strategy, not a security strategy based on only protecting a device, server, tape, disk, or media. This helps ensure any sensitive data can be protected anywhere it moves, and any way it is used.
  • Focus on integrating the core data protection functions including encryption, tokenization and data masking capabilities across a single vendor solution. Individual point products that are not integrated can be difficult to deploy and manage, and this is often where control gaps are found.
  • Implement data protection solutions that comprehensively protect all structured and unstructured data types across the entire IT infrastructure, including everything from legacy and mainframe to data in the cloud and on mobile.  Only protecting a single data type or a limited number of applications can leave an organization exposed to a potential data loss.

[i] Study conducted by Voltage at RSA San Francisco in February 2013 with 300 IT professionals

Featured

  • Allegion, Comfort Technologies Implement Mobile Credentials at the Artisan Apartment Homes in Florida

    Artisan Apartment Homes, a luxury apartment complex in Dunedin, Florida, recently transitioned from mechanical keys to electronic locks and centralized system software with support from Allegion US, a leading provider of security solutions, technology and services, and Florida-based Comfort Technologies, which specializes in deploying multifamily access control, IoT devices and software management solutions. Read Now

  • Mall of America Deploys AI-Powered Analytics to Enhance Parking Intelligence

    Mall of America®, the largest shopping and entertainment complex in North America, announced an expansion of its ongoing partnership with Axis Communications to deploy cutting-edge car-counting video analytics across more than a dozen locations. With this expansion, Mall of America (MOA) has boosted operational efficiency, improved safety and security, and enabled more informed decision-making around employee scheduling and streamlining transportation for large events. Read Now

  • Security Industry Association Launches New “askSIA” AI Tool

    The Security Industry Association (SIA) has unveiled a brand-new SIA member benefit – askSIA, a conversational AI agent designed to help users get the most out of their SIA membership, easily access SIA resources and find the latest information on SIA’s training and courses, reports and publications, events, certification offerings and more. SIA members can easily find askSIA by visiting the SIA homepage or looking for the askSIA icon in the top left of webpages. Read Now

    • Industry Events
  • Industry Embraces Mobile Access, Biometrics and AI

    A combination of evolving workplace dynamics, technology innovation and new user expectations is changing how people enter and interact with physical spaces. Access control is at the heart of these changes. Combined with biometrics and AI, mobile access control has become increasingly crucial for deploying entry solutions that are seamless, secure and adaptive to user needs. Read Now

  • Sustainable Video Solution Delivered for Landmark City of London Office Development

    An advanced, end-to-end video solution from IDIS, with a focus on reducing waste and costs, has helped a major office development in the City of London align its security with sustainability objectives. Read Now

New Products

  • Automatic Systems V07

    Automatic Systems V07

    Automatic Systems, an industry-leading manufacturer of pedestrian and vehicle secure entrance control access systems, is pleased to announce the release of its groundbreaking V07 software. The V07 software update is designed specifically to address cybersecurity concerns and will ensure the integrity and confidentiality of Automatic Systems applications. With the new V07 software, updates will be delivered by means of an encrypted file.

  • QCS7230 System-on-Chip (SoC)

    QCS7230 System-on-Chip (SoC)

    The latest Qualcomm® Vision Intelligence Platform offers next-generation smart camera IoT solutions to improve safety and security across enterprises, cities and spaces. The Vision Intelligence Platform was expanded in March 2022 with the introduction of the QCS7230 System-on-Chip (SoC), which delivers superior artificial intelligence (AI) inferencing at the edge.

  • ResponderLink

    ResponderLink

    Shooter Detection Systems (SDS), an Alarm.com company and a global leader in gunshot detection solutions, has introduced ResponderLink, a groundbreaking new 911 notification service for gunshot events. ResponderLink completes the circle from detection to 911 notification to first responder awareness, giving law enforcement enhanced situational intelligence they urgently need to save lives. Integrating SDS’s proven gunshot detection system with Noonlight’s SendPolice platform, ResponderLink is the first solution to automatically deliver real-time gunshot detection data to 911 call centers and first responders. When shots are detected, the 911 dispatching center, also known as the Public Safety Answering Point or PSAP, is contacted based on the gunfire location, enabling faster initiation of life-saving emergency protocols.