A recent study by Reconnex, provider of enterprise risk management systems, revealed the following alarming statistics:
- 91% of Companies Assessed Exposed Employee and/or Customer Personal Data – This included credit card & social security numbers entering or leaving their network. Many exposed this data directly in the subject lines of emails, in clear, open text.
- 80% of Companies Assessed Had Unknown Peer-to-Peer File Sharing Protocols Running – This raises concerns for lawsuits involving illegal distribution of copyrighted materials and inadvertent sharing of sensitive information.
- 80% of the Information Analyzed Was Webmail and Webtraffic; Only 13% Was Email – Although many employers regularly monitor email, few monitor web-based communication methods like Instant Messenger. This finding, which indicates that most employee communication is web-based, raises concerns regarding inadvertent sharing of sensitive information.
Source: The Daily Caveat