Microsoft finds manufacturers risk data theft

According to the Microsoft Collaboration in High-Tech Manufacturing Survey 2007, manufacturing firms regularly use insecure forms of communication, which places their data at risk of theft

The research, which was conducted by US-based KRC Research, found that 78 per cent of business decision-makers (BDMs), and 85 per cent of technology decision-makers (TDMs), used services such as web email and personal instant messaging, to send valuable intellectual property such as product plans and technical data.

Although insecure methods of communication are regularly used, most of those surveyed had serious concerns that this practice could present a security issue.

Only 27 percent of BDMs and 37 percent of TDMs surveyed who used these forms of communication, said that they believed them to be “definitely” secure.

Furthermore, 58 percent of BDMs and 72 percent of TDMs were concerned about their staff using these methods to communicate confidential or sensitive information outside the company.

In order to address the problem, 88 per cent of BDMs and 92 per cent of TDMs said that it either would be, or already is, valuable to be able to manage users’ access rights to sensitive documents.

The ability to encrypt email and/or IM between their company and suppliers was also reported to be valuable to 68 per cent of BDMs and 74 per cent of TDMs.

The survey was conducted via telephone between September 23 and October 12, 2007, and included responses from 200 BDMs and TDMs at and above the manager level within high-tech manufacturing companies with revenue of at least $150 million and 500 employees.