Jon Oltsik Data Quotations

Mission-critical data that goes missing could result in legal liabilities and regulatory compliance violations -- an intolerable situation. One would expect that security-conscious organizations would include tape encryption as a standard security defense. Unfortunately, this hypothesis simply isn't true. In a survey of 388 storage professionals, ESG found that only 7 percent of users reported that they always encrypt their backup data while 60 percent said that they never do. There will likely be many more instances of lost tapes, which may lead to embarrassing public disclosures and expensive notification efforts.

This research process resulted in some eye-opening and somewhat troubling conclusions. Large organizations identified security holes across a number of areas. Security processes are fair at best, and most users have not been trained on security policies and risks. I view the data from this report as a cry for help - clearly something must be done soon.

Within the past year the mounting public pressure for companies to secure personal data and the corresponding increase in data protection regulation have forced organizations to re-evaluate the way data is handled. Our research shows that many more are deploying encryption as a protection mechanism.

The need to protect confidential data cuts across companies large and small, within every industry. The results of our research data shed new light on the need for all organizations to protect against the insider threat, and the importance of including contractors and third-party affiliates as insiders in today's global marketplace.

Cartridges can sometimes be left in unmarked boxes on a loading dock next to somebody's eBay package. Often the most important data goes through the least sophisticated processes.