U.S. Businesses at Risk for Major Cyber Attack, IT Pros Say

[InfoSec News <isn () c4i org>]

http://www.ipsos-reid.com/media/dsp_displaypr_us.cfm?id_to_view=1583

[Rarely do I forward on a raw press release, usually I ask the PR
bunnies to send me a news article after the press release is sent out
(they almost never do) and that is why its rare to see a raw press
release in InfoSec News. This time you will want to read all the fine
print of this survey, and maybe in the corner of your office you will
hear those Vikings chanting...  FUD, FUD, FUD, FUD, Lovely FUD, Lovely
FUD, FUD, FUD, FUD.  :)

The major problem I have with this survey is that its from polling 602
IT Pros, and they are using that term lightly. Of the 602 IT Pros
surveyed, Other as a job title is the largest group at 30% or 183
people, (11 Information System specialists, 11 Web developers, 9 Data
services, 8 Computer technicians, 8 Technicians unspecified, 6
trainer/retention specialists, 6 Quality Assurance/tester 12 Other
technicians specified, 8 Other network posititons, and 93 Other
others. (whatever that really is) The next largest group was
Executive/Manager with 24% or 146 people and not to bore you with the
details the largest job title within that group with 19% is Other
executive/manager)

40% of these IT Pros have been at it for five years or less, with 30% 
of them at 6-15 years. 

39% of these IT Pros have no input on purchasing or developing online
security or cyber-security. 30% have informal input on these
recommendations, 18% have significant input, and 11% make the final
recommendations.

Being this is a BSA survey, 92% of those surveyed have anti-virus 
software installed on every computer, I'd be curious to know if 
everyone of those machines have their own license, or if the network 
has just one license shared on every machine. :)

Nowhere in these survey reports do I see any mention or variation of
security professional as a job title, I'm willing to bet a shiny new
quarter that you could get the same results from this crowd if asked
their opinions on mainframe computer purchases as I am sure these 602
IT Pros can speak as authoritatively on that subject, as they have on
cyber security.  I would love to see these survey questions asked to
602 information security professionals and then see the results, but
until then, this survey is just more FUD.  - WK]



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IT Pros Perceive Gap Between Threat of a Major Cyber Attack and U.S. 
Businesses' Ability to Defend Against It

BSA Press Release July 24, 2002

Washington, D.C. - The Business Software Alliance (BSA), with its 
media partner Business 2.0 Magazine, released the results of a poll 
today of information technology professionals in which half of all IT 
pros (47%) say that U.S. businesses are at risk of a major cyber 
attack in the next 12 months. Additionally, nearly 2-in-3 IT Pros 
(62%) say the risk of a major cyber attack on the U.S. has increased 
since 9/11. Moreover, more than 2-in-3 IT pros (68%) say there is a 
gap between the threat of a major cyber attack and U.S. businesses' 
ability to defend against it. Nearly 3-in-4 IT Pros (71%) say that 
U.S. businesses should devote more time and resources to defending 
against cyber attacks than it did to addressing Y2K issues. 


These are the findings of an Ipsos-Reid US Public Affairs poll 
conducted on behalf of the Business Software Alliance between July 8, 
2002 and July 10, 2002. Ipsos-Reid US Public Affairs interviewed 602 
IT professionals via Internet from a panel of more than 20,000 IT 
professionals. With a sample of this size, the results are considered 
accurate to within +/- 4.1 percentage points, 19 times out of 20, of 
what they would have been had the entire IT professional panel been 
surveyed. Ipsos-Reid US Public Affairs conducted two additional 
surveys on behalf of the BSA regarding cyber security in order to add 
context to the IT professional survey. The first was a telephone 
survey of 1,000 U.S. adults, conducted between July 11 and July 14, 
2002. The margin of error is +/- 3.1%. The second was a study of 1,094 
U.S. Internet users conducted online. The margin of error is +/- 3.0. 


IT Pros Say Risk of Major Cyber Attack on U.S. Businesses has 
Increased Since 9/11. 

Almost 2-in-3 IT pros (62%) say the risk of a major cyber attack has 
increased since 9/11. 

* Fewer than 1-in-10 IT pros (7%) say the risk of a major cyber attack 
  has decreased since 9/11. 


IT Pros Say U.S. Businesses Likely to Face Major Cyber Attack Within 
Next Year. 

Half of all IT pros (47%) say it is likely that U.S. businesses will 
be subject to a major cyber attack in the next 12 months. 

* Among those IT pros most expert on security issues - those 
  responsible for their company's computer and Internet security - 
  60% feel a major cyber attack is likely within the next year.

[...]



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