AEP Networks Study Finds Remote Data Security Pressing Issue

A recent survey from AEP Networks shows that 92 percent of organizations questioned allow their employees to work remotely or on the move.

Okay, you say. So? "This is," the report says, "despite the fact that network threats are on the increase and 44 percent of respondents believe that their networks are no more than 'quite' secure," and "no one" thought that unauthorized data access would have a minimal impact on their business, while 29 percent believe this would cause major, long-term damage.

The rest ranged between these two poles, with 61 percent taking the middle ground or tipping the balance towards "more significant" harm.

When asked about the likely impact of data loss on their organization, only three percent believed that jobs would be lost and the same number would expect no real impact at all. However, 53 percent thought that data loss would result in a negative impact on their business reputation. Customer relationships would be damaged for 22 percent and 19 percent felt that the impact would be felt directly in the bottom line.

Pat Donnellan, CEO of AEP Networks (News - Alert), said the survey found that 83 percent of remote workers carry corporate data on their laptops and mobile devices "despite the perceived impact of data loss and unauthorized data access on the business as a whole." He noted that the majority are relying on VPN security (61 percent) to provide adequate protection for their remote access needs.

In April TMC had the news that AEP Networks would exhibit its network security and secure access product, including the AEP SecComm Personal, a small deployable communications pack for reliable encrypted two-way information flow, at the recently-concluded Infosecurity Europe. The product is described by company officials as a "small deployable communications pack designed for U.K. and European Public Sector organizations that need reliable encrypted two-way information flow between remote users and a centralized location."