Business Services Industry

Getronics Study Reveals IT Security and Compliance Are Competing for Resources; Respondents Claim IT Security Expenses are Spread Across Various Departments as Integrated Security and Governance are Top-of-Mind

Business Wire, May 2, 2006

BILLERICA, Mass. -- Getronics, a global leader in workspace management IT services and security solutions, today announced the results of its annual IT security study. Data from the new study reveals that security professionals across a broad cross-section of industries believe that regulation is strongly impacting their organizations:

--More than 50 percent of respondents reported that time spent on compliance is a leading threat to IT security

--An overwhelming 89 percent of respondents indicated that enterprises are maturing their approach to security by funding initiatives across several departments, ensuring that IT security is integrated throughout the entire organization

"While many security surveys appear throughout the year from a variety of sources, Getronics has historically sought to look beyond the metrics and expose the motives and catalysts behind projected activities and behaviors of its current and future clients," said Doug Goodall, vice president of global security services, Getronics.

Further analysis of the study shows:

--IT security spending among enterprises will increase for 50 percent of respondents, while 41 percent of respondents expect to maintain current budgets through 2006

--40 percent of respondents reported that their security budget increased by at least 20 percent since 2004

--Of those reporting the distribution of IT security expense, departments most commonly sharing the bill include legal, finance, operations, and risk management

--While more than 50 percent of IT departments are performing annual compliance testing, the majority of departments are not conducting annual security-related compliance activities

"The diverse sources of company security funds illustrate the emergence of security as organizationally pervasive and no longer the sole responsibility of IT," added Goodall. "With multiple stakeholders within an organization, security has become more complex and more strategic."

Getronics' study indicates a need for balance between compliance and warns that organizations not let their operational guard down by sacrificing annual security-related compliance activities in the face of compliance testing. When nearly half of those surveyed mention compliance along with viruses, worms and network intrusions as one of the top four threats to their IT security, there is cause for concern.

The 2006 IT Security Compliance Survey received responses from information technology and security professionals working in a variety of industries. The annual security study was previously conducted by RedSiren, which Getronics acquired in 2005. As a result of the RedSiren acquisition, Getronics owns and operates the International Information Integrity Institute (I-4), the world's leading information security consortium.

A complete copy of Getronics' 2006 IT Security and Benchmarking Survey can be downloaded from the company's Web site at http://www.getronics.com/us/en-us/services/security_services.htm.> About Getronics

With some 25,000 employees in over 30 countries and approximate revenues of USD $3.1 billion, Getronics is one of the world's leading providers of vendor independent Information Technology (IT) solutions and services.

Getronics designs, deploys, and manages flexible and innovative end-to-end solutions, working together with our partners and clients, in order to optimize and increase the productivity of our clients' mobile knowledge workers.

Getronics headquarters are in Amsterdam, with regional offices in Boston, Madrid, and Singapore. Getronics' shares are traded on Euronext Amsterdam ("GTN"). For further information about Getronics, visit www.getronics.com/us.>