Companies from all sectors are under pressure to secure consumer information, and it seems that some are more effective than others at doing just that. Research from the Unisys Corporation found that government agencies and telecommunications companies are the least trusted when it comes to keeping data safe.
The survey, which was carried out in Australia by Newspoll, asked respondents how likely it was that their personal data would be accessed by an unauthorised person when held by companies in different sectors. Telecommunications firms ranked highest with 58 per cent of consumers considering a breach to be likely, followed by government sources with 49 per cent. The banking and finance sector didn’t follow too far behind, as it was named by 46 per cent of respondents.
“Airlines and other transport companies are the most trusted type of organisations,” explained John Kendall, security program director at Unisys Asia-Pacific.
“However, they will need to work to maintain this trust as they continue to capture more and more information about their passengers in a bid to provide personalised end-to-end services – including assistance with border security measures.”
What can be done to prevent further breaches?
Now could be the ideal time for these businesses to invest in improving their security through ID card printing and other measures. As Mr Kendall points out, taking preventative action is essential for any business that wants to build trust among members of the public.
This may be more important than ever, as the CERT 2013 Cyber Crime and Security Survey found that incidents are becoming increasingly common across the country. Almost two-thirds (61 per cent) of organisations were found not to have identified cyber security incidents within their risk register.
Furthermore, 16 per cent of businesses haven’t dedicated any staff to dealing with IT security. Instead, almost all of the companies polled (95 per cent) believe that general staff members need to enhance their knowledge of cyber security issues and best practice.
Insurance broker Willis FINEX found in its Cyber/Network Security report that the risks don’t only face businesses that deal with e-commerce. Any company that deals with personal data and information must take steps to protect it, especially as breaches can result from incidents ranging from a lost laptop to the actions of a disgruntled employee.
Investing in ID card printing technology and other hardware could be just what companies need to mitigate risk and prevent any further problems from arising.
