Research

Best Practices: The 2004 Global Information Security Survey

Best Practices: The 2004 Global Information Security Survey

By Scott Berinato

"The Game's Afoot"

The data from the "2004 Global Information Security Survey" shows movement in the right direction. Happily, you've evolved, and information security practices are slowly improving.

Unhappily, the threat environment is also evolving. Just as you've started to gain ground in the virus battles, spam, malicious code and confidence tricks are being designed to far more destructive ends (including extortion and theft) than simple network downtime. Phishing was so limited last year that we didn't even ask about it. This year, 13 percent of respondents said they were affected by it. Scams already exist that can trick you into installing software that hides until you start banking online, at which point it wakes up and logs your keystrokes

Yes, you're managing the viruses and other security nuisances better. But, the information infrastructure is no longer the target; it's just the path used to get to far more profitable targets. Perhaps this is why the "not at all confident" group of respondents ticked up from 10 percent last year to 14 percent this year.

Yes, information security improved in 2004, but this is no time to celebrate. You must continue to evolve. Ever more sophisticated Dr. Moriarities are out there, lurking. For them, and for you, the game's afoot.

Scott Berinato

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