Data security “gap” threatens collaboration within European organisations>
– CISION (PR Newswire)
The findings from a recent IDC InfoBrief sponsored by Immuta shed light on the data security challenges faced by European organizations.
According to the report, a significant 29% of these organizations are grappling with the inability to fully utilize data due to data security issues.
As IT and data infrastructures become increasingly complex, organizations are facing the challenge of managing huge siloes of sensitive data internally.
Notably, the rise in cyber attacks in Europe has only compounded the data security “gap” for businesses.
The report reveals that 58% of organizations in the UK, 49% in DACH (Germany, Austria, Switzerland), and 47% in the Nordics have experienced an increase in cyber attacks over the past 12 months.
This external risk further emphasizes the need for organizations to manage data security alongside the growing threat of cyber attacks.
CEOs are taking notice of the criticality of data security, as the report highlights that 45% of organizations plan to prioritize spending on data security, risk, and compliance this year.
Trustworthy data collaboration and sharing are being considered paramount, leading to increased investment in data security measures.
Additionally, CEOs are focusing on workplace solutions, application development and deployment platforms, infrastructure and operations, and automation technologies to optimize their data-related efforts.
However, it’s not just internal data security that organizations need to address; the report also highlights the emergence of a new blind spot caused by shadow data.
With the increasing sprawl of data in the cloud, only 42% of European businesses feel confident in their ability to discover and classify sensitive data, including both known and unknown data, within public cloud environments.
This indicates that organizations must grapple with the challenge of identifying and protecting sensitive data effectively.
The tension between digital innovation and data sovereignty is another area of concern for organizations due to evolving privacy regulations.
The report reveals that only 15% of organizations in Europe feel highly confident in their ability to discover and classify sensitive data to ensure its protection.
In particular, GDPR compliance poses challenges related to identifying and mapping personal data, data protection by design, data retention and deletion, and data security.
Turning our attention to the United Kingdom specifically, the report reveals that organizations prioritize working from home and hybrid work as their top operational security priorities for 2023.
Cyber resilience of systems and data privacy and regulatory compliance also rank high on their agenda.
Interestingly, 58% of UK organizations express confidence in their ability to discover and classify sensitive data within the public cloud – a notable increase compared to the European average of 42%.
It is worth noting that 56% of UK organizations plan to expand or upgrade their technology related to data access and governance in the coming year.
Colin Mitchell, General Manager at Immuta, captures the complexity that organizations face, stating, “The reality is that organizations are typically operating with data spread across multiple platforms and locations, all whilst navigating a rapidly evolving privacy and regulatory landscape.” The critical nature of data as an asset for collaboration, innovation, and decision-making cannot be understated.
However, as data usage continues to rise, unauthorised access, breaches, and misuse pose challenges that need to be addressed through effective security and compliance measures.
To build trust in data and streamline security operations, organizations are exploring the convergence to a data security platform.
The report highlights that 49% of respondents working in security positions plan to expand or upgrade the implementation of data access controls in the next 12 months.
Furthermore, 32% of European organizations aim to increase spending on data discovery and classification to overcome the challenges arising from data complexity.
In summary, the IDC InfoBrief sheds light on the pressing data security challenges faced by European organizations, as well as their efforts to prioritize data security.
The report emphasizes the need for organizations to address complex IT and data infrastructures, manage the rising threat of cyber attacks, and navigate privacy regulations effectively.
By investing in data security measures, organizations can build trust in data, streamline operations, and enhance their ability to protect sensitive data.
Link: https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/data-security-gap-threatens-collaboration-within-european-organisations-301925166.html