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

[InfoSec News <isn () c4i org>]

Forwarded from: Richard Forno <rforno () infowarrior org>

This is simply BSA trying to get some part of the Homeland Security
Paranoia Pie by releasing a FUDDY report designed to scare instead of
educate. Your comment about what constitutes an IT Pro are equally
dead-correct.

Remember only last month the ADTI (where did they come from anyway?)
FUD-filled report claiming OSS was a threat to national security, when
the report came out it spoke only about economic and legal threats to
established commercial entities, giving only 3 paragraphs or so to
'terrorism'

In times of war or political uncertainty, FUD reigns supreme over all!    :(

rick
infowarrior.org


> From: InfoSec News <isn () c4i org>
> Reply-To: InfoSec News <isn () c4i org>
> Date: Thu, 25 Jul 2002 05:37:59 -0500 (CDT)
> To: isn () attrition org
> Subject: [ISN] U.S. Businesses at Risk for Major Cyber Attack, IT Pros Say
>
> 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]
>
>
>
> -=-
>
>
> 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.

[...]



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