SecureData, a member of the JSE-listed ERP.com Group and the distributor for RSA Security products in Sub-Saharan Africa, today announced that RSA Conference, the world's leading information security conference and exposition group, has just published the results of a new study examining the top media trends in the information security industry. RSA Conference analysed more than 160 security-specific feature articles in a broad cross-section of media outlets including eWeek, BusinessWeek, Information Security Magazine and the Wall Street Journal published in the third quarter of 2005. Data Security emerged as the top trend in the three key media categories evaluated, earning 24% of overall coverage, 23% of business press coverage and 24% of IT press coverage.
In Q3 2005, the information security industry was still reeling from the largest data loss ever reported. The May 2005 incident, involving CardSystems Solutions, Inc. exposed the sensitive data from as many as 40m payment cards to fraud. This incident highlighted California law SB 1386, which mandates the notification of consumers whose private data has been exposed to fraud. Individuals and organisations alike sought to better understand the impact of data breaches, their consequences and potential solutions. As a result, the Data Security category, which includes security breaches, encryption and data theft, began to gain considerably more of the media's attention.
"The threat of another large-scale data breach compels people to better understand how they could be effected - personally or professionally," commented Sandra Toms LaPedis, area vice president and general manager, RSA Conference. "The media, especially the business press, responded to this story by quickly becoming a go-to resource for education on data security and tangential topics such as identity theft, malware and legislation."
The study identifies the most covered information security topics reported by the media as:
1. Data Security/Security Breaches (24%)
2. Malware (19%)
3. Identity Theft/Privacy (13%)
4. Legislation/Regulatory Compliance (11%)
5. Vulnerabilities (11%)
6. Network Access Control/ID Management (10%)
7. Best Practices (6%)
8. Wireless Security (4%)
9. Hacking (2%)
Further analysis of the security media coverage revealed a stark contrast between the security issues addressed by the business press versus the IT press. Although both media groups considered Data Security/Security Breaches and Malware among the most critical issues, the business press showed a much stronger interest in Identity Theft and Privacy, whereas the security and IT press reported more heavily on Vulnerabilities.
"The amount of attention the business press dedicated to covering identity theft, security breaches and malware demonstrates that information security has grown to be more than just a technology issue - it's an important business and consumer story," added LaPedis. "Meanwhile, the IT press is making it clear that combating vulnerabilities is still a major issue for its audience. As much as the security industry has advanced, vulnerabilities continue to be an evasive problem for organisations of all sizes."
Based on the study's findings and the insight the company has gathered in creating its 2006 conference agenda, RSA Conference expects the top three trends - Data Security, Malware and Identity Theft - will continue to be a significant focus for the media over the next two quarters. Technologies that address these issues such as Network Access Control and Identity Management are poised to capture more of the media's interest well into 2006.
The company also anticipates that legislation and compliance issues will gain momentum, while topics such as Wireless Security will maintain a slower pace until the much discussed threats transpire.
For further information, please contact Andrew Ochse at tel. +27 11 257 8600; fax +27 11 257 8699; e-mail andrewo@securedata.co.za.
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RSA Security Inc. helps organisations confidently protect identities and information access. The company secures more than 15 million user identities, safeguards trillions of business transactions annually, and manages the confidentiality of data in tens of thousands of applications worldwide. RSA Security's portfolio of award-winning solutions, including identity & access management, secure mobile & remote access, secure enterprise access, secure transactions and consumer identity protection, sets the standard in the industry. Their strong reputation is built on a 20-year history of ingenuity, leadership and proven technologies, and their 17,000+ customers around the globe. Together with more than 1,000 technology and integration partners, RSA Security inspires confidence in everyone to experience the power and promise of the Internet.
SecureData
SecureData, an ERP.com company, is Africa's Premier IT Security Solution Provider. SecureData's solutions incorporate Antivirus and Content Security, Network Security, Intrusion Prevention software, and Network Asset Management. SecureData's comprehensive "Managed Security Services" include design, audit, implementation, vulnerability assessment, outsourcing and hosting. SecureData distributes, sells and supports category leading IT security products to the public, corporate and SME sectors throughout Africa as well as products and services to the SOHO and consumer markets through partnerships with ISPs. As well as being the sole distributor in Sub-Saharan Africa for Trend Micro, SecureData is the African distributor for USA-based TippingPoint Technologies and the Southern African distributor for USA-based Application Security, eEye, Rocket Software, RSA Security, St Bernard and Websense. For more information, visit SecureData at www.securedata.co.za.
ERP.com
ERP.com is a JSE-listed company focused on the implementation, integration and management of enterprise applications in an e-business environment. For more information, visit ERP.com at www.erpcom.co.za.
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