Employees Pose the Greatest Risk to Endpoint Security

Business Wire, Feb 4, 2008

FutureSoft/ISSA Security Industry Survey Highlights Key Threats to Companies' Information Systems and Content

HOUSTON -- FutureSoft, Inc., developer of information security and connectivity solutions, today announced the results of the first-annual endpoint security survey. The research, undertaken jointly with the Information Systems Security Association (ISSA)[R], an international organization of information security professionals and practitioners, found that 56% of respondents felt that employees or supervisory level personnel were the greatest risk to company information systems.

The survey of almost 600 ISSA Members from industry sectors as diverse as Financial Services, Entertainment and Government also found:

* 73.6% ranked employees as being a higher than average risk to internal information systems

* 63.6% felt the same about supervisory level personnel often deemed as 'untouchable'

* The lowest risk were foreign Governments, with 60.8% citing them as being a zero to medium risk to data security

* 28.3% of companies don't have an acceptable usage policy in place regarding use of removable media

* 34.3% of companies don't prohibit the use of P2P in the workplace, 44.9% don't prohibit Skype and other personal VoIP technologies and 55.1% don't prohibit the use of personal IM - all of which are technologies regularly cited for the rise in corporate security threats

* 76.1% don't currently implement data-tracking systems to monitor Intellectual Property theft at end points

"The fact that over three quarters of organizations seemingly don't care what company information is being shared outside of the organization and to whom, is probably the most worrying statistic of all," comments FutureSoft Founder and CEO, Tim Farrell. "The Intellectual Property of an organization, such as research and development, can have an inordinate value and be directly relevant to its future success. To not maintain an effective control over it is tantamount to allowing your competitors to wander freely around your office."

FutureSoft's expertise in networking and security technology helps organizations protect their most critical informational and IT assets from attack. The company's flagship information security software DynaComm PointGuard enables organization-wide spyware protection, insider threat assessment, data leak prevention, compliance auditing, policy creation and enforcement, and real-time host-based monitoring.

"As well as maintaining a regular dialog with our customers on a support and maintenance level, we wanted to confirm the market's top security worries, to ensure that there is indeed still a need for our products moving forward," explains Farrell. "The findings have reassured us that not only is our product set relevant today, but that it also satisfies security demands of the future."

"ISSA appreciates FutureSoft's sponsorship of this survey highlighting some of the important security issues that all organizations must address," adds ISSA International President, Howard A. Schmidt.

About ISSA

The Information Systems Security Association (ISSA), with 109 chapters in 24 countries and over 13,000 members, is the largest international, not-for-profit association specifically for information security professionals and practitioners. ISSA members represent all levels of the security field in a broad range of industries, including communications, education, healthcare, manufacturing, financial and government. ISSA provides education, publications, information sharing and peer forums to foster the knowledge, skill and professional growth of its members, and serves as The Global Voice of Information Security. www.issa.org

About FutureSoft

Founded in 1982, FutureSoft is an international software company focused on developing information security and connectivity solutions. With offices in Houston and the UK, the company's customers span the globe and include corporations of all sizes, government organizations and educational institutions seeking to manage and protect digital and business assets.

FutureSoft's DynaComm Connectivity Series (DCS) and MultiView products provide comprehensive, flexible and scalable Windows[R] terminal emulation solutions that deliver maximum return on investment for server or mainframe-based systems. The company's flagship security product, DynaComm PointGuard, is a total asset management and protection solution for small to medium-sized enterprises that enables system administrators to effectively manage, monitor and protect the physical and digital assets on their network.

For more information, contact FutureSoft at 281-496-9400 or www.futuresoft.com.